“my chrome aunties”
rescued vintage ceramic salt and pepper shakers chrome-coated 2026
these vintage salt and pepper shakers were not neutral objects. they belong to a lineage of domestic items designed to normalize racist caricature within everyday life—placed on tables, handled casually, and absorbed into routine. they performed familiarity while carrying harm.
i found these objects after their initial life of use had ended. part of my practice is rescuing what has been discarded or overlooked—not to restore it, but to reframe it. to give it a new life that refuses its original function.
by coating these figures in chrome, i interrupt that imposed softness.
chrome operates as both a material and a concept. in color theory, it exists beyond traditional color—it reflects rather than represents. it absorbs its environment and returns it back to the viewer, creating a surface that is constantly shifting, unstable, and dependent on context. where the original object was fixed in meaning, the chrome version refuses to hold a single narrative.
this transformation creates tension between past and present. the matte, hand-painted surface belongs to a visual language of false comfort and nostalgia. chrome, by contrast, is industrial, hyper-visible, and associated with elevation—cars, trophies, spectacle. it strips the object of its intended innocence and forces it into confrontation.
the reflective surface implicates whoever is looking. you don’t just see the object—you see yourself inside of it. the work shifts from something to be consumed into something that consumes the gaze back.
there is also a shift in value. what was once commonplace and inexpensive is now treated as artifact and object of focus. this contrast questions what gets preserved, what gets polished, and whose histories are allowed to remain visible.
this work does not redeem the object’s past. it holds it in place while denying it the ability to remain comfortable. through transformation, these figures are given a new life—not as tools of normalization, but as surfaces of reflection, confrontation, and refusal.
come see my aunties this friday
at yowie’s salt and pepper shaker show from 6-9
Philadelphia’s public art scene continues to get better with partnerships between curators like @afromationavenue and @muralarts . I took the walking tour for the unveiling of the art with my grandmother. This project spread positive messages about African/Black heritage to the community by collaborating with artists like @nomad_face & @void.vacancy to beautify Germantown’s commercial corridors.
I love Uptown.
Philly Is The Culture! 🎨🖌️🖼️
A new “Free Wall” is up at Chelten & Knox. 🎨 Street artist NOMAD says it’s about making room for creativity and “freedom of expression” — in the neighborhood and beyond.
It’s also a practical move, as Liberty Tax manager Dante Hines says he’s paid repeatedly to cover vandalism, and the Free Wall offers a legal option for artists to paint and contribute.
Read the full story ➡️
✍🏽: Rasheed Z. Ajamu (@dagtowngem ), engagement reporter
im just trying to make my neighborhood a nice place, give artist the opportunities i wish i had and pay homage to the ones who inspired me
i want to thank @enemthagreat_tdk and @busta.art for starting this jawn off
if you dont know what a free wall is, the name says it all, a totally free wall to rock out and do you.
My only advice is to bless this wall, dont mess this wall
This jawn is located on Chelten Ave and Knox St right on the side of the Liberty Tax Building .
Its going to be a few more of these popping up so just be on the lookout, until then like my oldhead said if you gone come up this jawn dont be playing around
“PLOP!”
19” x 19”
acrylic paint with paint markers
2025
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This jawn was a part of this snowy day series I was working on, I dont know if i said it before but “ A Snowy Day” is one of my favorite books and I remember going through looking at the pictures thinking to myself i want to paint this. also ive been trying some new shit with using the NOMAD face as the base layer and painting over it to see if it shines through. just trying to stay busy and get better while trying new stuff.
