community gathering on whadjuk country
This collective community piece was curated from my own journey as a Bla(c)k woman, of African descent, experiencing a deep sense of pain from a personal loss this year, as well as, being completely immersed in the Black Lives Matter movement in Australia and seeing the first-hand impact from years of trauma at hands of colonisation within the Aboriginal communities. With my heart full of pain, I connected to light and Bla(c)k Girl Joy was born.
In Australia both Aboriginal and African identify as Bla(c)k and I wanted to explore this interconnection between two communities from different walks of life through art. My first deep bond in Australia was with Noongar women in the South West region of Western Australia. I saw myself in them, as if we were family in a past life. It was through my evolving bond with these magical Noongar women that I realised that we're all deeply connected. We are love beyond the surface of our physical body. As loving beings, we can choose to transform fear into love and pain into joy.
In a movement of re-connecting to our roots, I wanted to extend beyond a traditional art exhibition and incorporate aspects of myself. Within this community gathering, I held a community meditation and invited guests to explore the act of listening with our hearts. Bla(c)k women shared their stories of joy and we collectively connected to a beautiful visual film created by Cecile Creative and myself. It is the beginning of many magical stories from the eyes of a Bla(c)k woman.
Photo credit: Tasha Faye
view online art exhibition here