And just like that, she’s done. Clay is just one big experiment and I have to keep reminding myself to leave my perfectionism at the door 🥴. We’re learning, we’re listening, we’re growing hehe
Where do I even start? I came to Philly for love and for murals and I’ve been able to experience both of those things in so many different ways. When Conrad (@streetsdept ) approached me about this project, I knew that it was going to be the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s rare for a mural artist to be given the opportunity to do anything that they want. Conrad has been rocking with me for years and our working relationship and friendship has added so much value to my life and I’m eternally grateful. The same goes for @muralarts . I’ve been able to grow so much as an artist with this organization and I’m not sure where my life would be if I hadn’t visited a friend in Philly many years ago and been so deeply inspired by all of the murals that I saw. Thank you so much to @m.scooot and @postedwithgrace for working with me to get this piece painted. Grace spoke so much life into me and really helped me calm down when I was feeling super stressed! Thank you to the @muralartsrestorativejustice team for helping paint for a few days. We had a blast chatting and getting to know some of the members! Overall, I’m feeling so good about this project and it is literally my soul on the wall. I’ll be making more posts about the meaning behind the mural but I just wanted to thank the many folks that helped bring this project to life! Photos by @erinblewett
How the past informs the future is at the heart of @_mcbailey ’s “We’re Not Done Yet”. A colorful piece painted on the walls of a church and home at 1272 S 23rd St. As you walk up the ramp to the main piece, you see images of various people of all ages and skin tones backed by vibrant expressions of color. “I like to highlight the resilience of blackness in America, and how there is so much joy, but also there is so much room for growth” - Marian Bailey.
This mural not only gave a new touch to the neighborhood, it brought community members together. Neighbors even provided water to the painters and applauded as the dedication unfolded!
Journalists: Azavier Gonzalez, Jayson Harris, Nora Dorn, and Cay Midla
This video project is in conjunction with the @whyyedu Department and Mural Arts.
Over the last year, I’ve made a collection of lady jars that investigates how Black bodies have historically been seen as functional objects. As a descendant of Black folks that were stolen from their homeland, I can’t help but be shaped by that and it is something that I carry with me in my work. When I started working with clay, I felt this deep ancestral connection. I am working with materials that have existed for millennia and I can feel the energy that comes from that. The lady jars are a result of that feeling and focuses on a horrid history while also drawing attention to how this obsession with Black bodies still persists.
To know me is to know that I love a little brewski and use to collect pint glasses. When @sarahmackattack of @skypeascientist contacted me about designing a pint glass that promotes planting native plants, I was immediately sold. These glasses along with some super sick ones by @hanfran.studio and @the666dog can be found at various bars around the city. If you want one of mine, I have a limited supply for local pickup. They’re $15-$20, half of which goes to @skypeascientist ! DM me cause I’m too lazy to put them on my website :/
I was recently watching a video of the costume designer for the one piece live action explaining the different choices that they made. It was super cool seeing how she was able to bring the illustrations to life. I think that is my dream job!
Today was unreal. I’ve dreamt of visiting @parquequetzalcoatl for probably 10ish years and it finally became a reality. Javier Senosiain has two funders and I am also manifesting funders for future projects 🙌🏾 because being able to think and dream this big is all I ever want.
Raise your hand if you spent hours playing online dress up games after school! Those games really shaped me and I’ve realized that so much of my fashion inspiration comes from animated series. I also deleted my TikTok account, which is where I posted my daily ootds so now I guess I’ll draw them and post them here from time to time :)
