In my latest body of work, I draw inspiration from the concept of afrotropes, a term coined by art historians Huey Copeland and Krista Thompson. They describe afrotropes as recurring visual forms that have emerged within and become central to the formation of African-diasporic culture and identity. Manifesting as codes, symbols, aesthetics, and concepts, afrotropes evolve alongside Black culture and shifting notions of Blackness. One prominent example of an afrotrope is the iconic image of Tommie Smith’s bold, fist-raised gesture at the 1968 Olympics. The image has been reproduced in various mediums over the years, from posters to t-shirts, as well as a recent collaboration with conceptual artist Glenn Kaino. The image of Smith recycles throughout visual culture as a symbol of defiance, revolution, and racial solidarity. Afrotropes like the Smith image visually capture the intangible, improvisational, and vibrational aspects of Black creative expression while also embodying the enduring nature of African spiritual and philosophical constructs.
Scholar Vongai Mpofu suggests that time, from an African perspective, is a sociocultural reality. She states that time is viewed as cyclical rather than linear and as a continuous process of birth, growth, death, and rebirth. In fact, several indigenous African cultures believe that death itself is not an end but a birth into a new state of being, the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new one. The indigenous notion of rebirth and regeneration mirrors patterns found in the natural world, like the sun and moon, seasons and weather patterns. This view of time aligns with the concept of afrotropes. Afrotropes also operate in cycles, upholding the tradition of indigenous social, spiritual, and philosophical ideals. They recycle Black visual culture and become signifiers of our most significant moments. With each iteration of these recurring ideas, Blackness expands and stretches, igniting and sustaining these themes when we least expect but often when we most need them.
In my exhibition, “...They Didn’t Realize We Were Seeds,” I delve into and reinterpret various aspects of Black identity across time and cultures, encompassing art, fashion, politics, and spirituality. Through my work, I identify and engage several afrotropes, discovering their inherent power and significance. They take the form of totems or fetish objects and are then worked and imbued to serve an apotropaic function, guarding and protecting Black subjectivity and viability. Within my pieces, you will encounter wreaths of cotton transformed into crowns, African ritual masks juxtaposed with Air Jordans and durags. What might initially seem like a collision of ideas, actually demonstrates the resilience and adaptability of indigenous African spiritual and philosophical constructs, which continue to animate and shape contemporary Black identity.
Like seeds in a fruit, afrotropes leave behind traces that reproduce, grow, and expand our ways of seeing, being, and becoming. Throughout these drawings, paintings, and sculptures in this exhibition, I deploy afrotropes as visual cues to signify and affirm the viability of Black culture. If you know, you know. If you don’t, you won’t. Despite attempts to deny or diminish Black existence, afrotropes serve to remind us of our brilliance and resilience. Ultimately these works acknowledge that they tried to bury us, but they (and more importantly, we) didn’t realize we were seeds.
Have you heard about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? It defied nature's law by learning to walk without feet. It may seem funny, but by holding onto its dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air. Let us celebrate the rose that grew from concrete when no one else cared.
- Tupac Shakur
The Congo cosmogram presents time as a cyclical phenomenon rather than linear. Just like in nature, time bends and curves back on itself, and all things follow the same cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth.
Recently, I learned about the term "Afrotropes," which refers to the recurring codes, symbols, aesthetics, and concepts that emerge from Black culture. Coined by art historians Huey Copeland and Krista Thompson, Afrotropes are visual forms that have become central to African-diasporic culture and identity. They recycle Black visual culture and become significant markers of our most important moments. With each repetition of these ideas, Blackness expands and stretches, igniting and fueling our experiences when we least expect it, but when we need it the most.
In my exhibition, "...They Didn't Realize We Were Seeds: We The Roses," I explore Black identity across different time periods and cultures, encompassing art, fashion, politics, and spirituality. Through my work, I aim to identify and utilize these Afrotropes, showcasing their inherent power and significance. Transformed into totems or fetish objects, they carry cultural weight and serve a protective function, safeguarding Black subjectivity and vitality.
In my pieces, you will encounter everyday objects that have been transformed and empowered. African ritual masks alongside Air Jordans and memorial t-shirts amplify the enduring presence of these cultural and spiritual retentions. What may initially seem like a collision of ideas is actually evidence of the resilience and adaptability of indigenous African spiritual and philosophical constructs, which continue to shape and influence contemporary Black identity. For instance, my "Real NEGUS Don't Die" paintings resist and reject the idea of death as a tool of coercion and control. The term "NEGUS" is an Amharic word meaning royalty. The spirit and legacy of the individuals depicted in these works are a testament to their enduring essence, but more importantly, the power of their message of liberation, creativity, and Black brilliance. Similarly, my sculpture series "Louis Knapsack Where I'm Holding all the Work at" repurposes the clear backpack often used as a means to monitor Black youth on school campuses. In these works, the backpack becomes a mobile vitrine containing altars of power. By reworking oppressive measures, we showcase the indomitable spirit of Black culture and youthful dissent.
Like seeds within a fruit, Afrotropes leave behind traces of themselves that germinate, grow, and expand our ways of seeing, being, and becoming. Throughout the drawings, paintings, and sculptures in this exhibition, I use Afrotropes as visual cues, affirming and signifying the vitality of Black existence. Despite attempts to deny and diminish Black being, Afrotropes serve as a reminder of our brilliance and resilience, proving that although they tried to bury us, they—and more importantly, we—didn't realize we were seeds.
