Shelter-in-Place reflects on the ways Black women and girls seek safety in spaces that are often layered with risk. The act of sheltering—finding refuge in a place already occupied—mirrors how we navigate the world: mentally, emotionally, socially, spiritually, and physically. Even amid danger, real or perceived, we carve out space for joy, connection, and survival.

Rooted in inherited cultural codes, this work explores the visual and verbal language we’ve developed to move through both marginalized and mainstream spaces. Drawing on the forms of a maze, a funhouse, and a playground, the exhibition examines how these environments disorient, challenge, and nurture us—simultaneously confusing, confronting, and inviting us to play.

Through painting, installation, sound, and signage, I consider how language—spoken, written, and felt—shapes identity and access. Shelter-in-Place is a study in dualities: safety and danger, attraction and repulsion, visibility and erasure. It’s about how we move, communicate, and hold space for one another while making sense of the world around us.