A Journey of marks

This work is influenced by my heritage and blackness, with references to female family members, African wax cloth, and textures from neglected posters. Inspired by my mark making, the collection reflects my creative processes and includes hand weaving, Jacquard design, digital and silkscreen printing.

Wandering the streets of Rome, I came across an abandoned billboard and immediately wanted to see the colours and layers of text beneath. I started ripping down the posters and photographing the layers, taking home the pieces to investigate further. Looking specifically at the halftone printing and ripped paper and observing the contrasting scales of circles, I began making marks.

My way of working is free and non-restrictive. Intentionally keeping my outcome open allows me to consider a range of possibilities, letting the work naturally steer the project. Each step has led me to the next beginning, from the colourful streets of Rome to the confines of my black and white childhood bedroom. With no access to a loom, lockdown has allowed me to develop my mark making and step outside my comfort zone – drawing larger than A0 and designing digitally.

My dissertation discusses how black women have been removed from the Western media. With this in mind, it was essential for me to document my entire design process; making myself visible creating the work and documenting my creative journey. There is something liberating about being in control of my visibility as a black female creative in a world where black women are invisible.