Mouthpiece
Mouthpiece is a direct response to the commodification of activism that exponentially increased during The pandemic. In 2020 we saw an increase in protests from groups like the BLM movement. With this rise in protest, social awareness, and activism we saw an increase with corporations trying to buy into the attention these groups had. These corporations, foundations, and businesses were scrambling to utilize black faces and voices for monetary gain. Black identities are constantly treated as disposable capital in hopes of gaining at the expense of black bodies. While these front-facing measures were being done there were no actual changes happening to these institutions’ structures, workforce, hierarchies, or practices that would reflect real systemic racial equity. Mouthpiece displays the artist’s frustration and how powerless the artist felt watching this happen over and over again. Feeling like there was no escape as someone who was born and has to live within this system. Mouthpiece grapples with the harm being exposed to this all brings and learning not to feel guilt of not doing enough as a black creative by setting boundaries.
Mouthpiece is comprised of found beads, textiles, and fabrics as well digital paintings printed on twill collaged and painted florals printed on cotton collaged in The floral elements of the piece are made up of floral weed plants to parallel black femininity to that of weed plants as undesired in society unless some labor ro purpose is deemed useful.
