Videos
Monumental Failure (short edit)
The object/ The conduit/ The vessel
The idol/ The thing/ The ego
erected
then falls until
grounded.
Alas.
While You Sleep
(An Excerpt from a Jouvay Dream)
This performance created for the stage, is adapted from a portion of my original short story titled, While You Sleep. The story was inspired by a statement from Barbadian poet, Kamau Brathwaite who spoke of the need for a ritual to keep the souls of the millions of enslaved Africans who perished in the waters during the transatlantic journey from coming back to haunt us.
The story takes place during Carnival season somewhere in the Caribbean. The main character, Ele, a young poet, has surreal nightmares every year during this season. Though each dream is full of symbols and meaning that are somewhat recognizable, Ele seeks insight on the meanings of the dreams from elders in the community. The closer it gets to J'ouvert (Jouvay), the spirt of the ancestors in the dreams become less troubled.
I was joined by Xander Crook on percussion who masterfully scored this performance.
This performance was made at the Nordic Black Theater, Oslo, Norway
March 2019
Like Dead Weight
This is part of a series created during my time at the Fresh Milk International Artist Residency program, 2017. The residency is situated on what was formerly Willoughby's Plantation, circa 1660, in Saint George's Parish, Barbados. It is part of a series reflecting on the enslaved Africans and their descendants who once lived, labored, and died on this land. Photos from this series can be found here.
As Seen (rainy season)
Part of my research in throughout the Caribbean looks at how people move through their environments, adapt to the elements while navigating landscape and use ingenuity to problem solve. Here I'm thinking about practical solutions to shielding oneself from the rain. It is common to see people use plastic bags (which have flooded their environments) to cover the head from the rain. I change bags beginning with one from a company that maintains a monopoly in 8 countries in the Caribbean. They own supermarkets, car dealerships, real estate, energy, insurance, and more. But they provide jobs for those who otherwise would be struggling to find work. The other bag used is a local hardware store (entrepreneurship, local support, community). Then the colored bag (back to visuals along the landscape) a nod to the way people take pride in individuality when it comes to the way they paint the exterior of their homes and the nuanced relationship to gender and colors in the region. I made the piece inside of the ruins of former sugar cane mill as the rain falls on me. 2017
Fine Tooth Comb: Oh Those Dreadful Mo(u)rnings WIth You.
...on trauma as experienced by the colonized black body. 2014
Sophisticating the Negro (still)
...on elevating the status of some things that should really be left alone.