Every year October rolls around far too quickly and once I get over the excitement of the fact that Halloween will soon be here, I remember it's Black History Month and I haven't done anything for it, even though every year I tell myself I will!
This year is no exception, but I thought I don't have time to make something new, so why not talk about the things I have made in the past that directly link to me being brown, so.....
The Angela Davis
In 2011 I made a postcard sized work to be included in an auction. I found this postcard with pictures of 70s ladies with bouffant hairstyles. I then stitched afro hairstyles on top of them and called it The Angela Davis.
I have since turned the image into 3 badges I sell online and at zine fairs. This piece has caused much confusion from 'isn't that racist' to 'oh, that's not the Angela Davis I was thinking of'. All said by white people!
I find it sometimes make people feel uncomfortable, I don't think that was my initial intention, but I like that it can do that.
I most likely did it just on a whim, but I suppose it's a commentary on how such a political figure and daring icon, can just be reduced to a hairstyle. Or the age old stealing of cultures from POC and sold on by white people!
What, Is She Black Now?
In 2013 I decided I wanted to do some felt portraits instead of sculptural work. I came up with the idea of taking some of my favourite fictional characters and making them POC!
It's a comment on how the majority of pop culture I love is white (a commnet on the world AND myself) and how more often than not, when a character of colour is included it is conducive to the plot. They don't just happen to be black, it is somewhere along the lines to raise an issue.
I decided what if Enid Coleslaw was a brown weirdo? That story could still be told the same!
I got some postcards printed up of these pieces for others to hang on their wall or send to friends, I later turned this into a fabric I made into a dress for my 30th birthday and later a still a notebook!
Brown Girl Zine
In 2011 I finally put my love of zine making and Jamaican heritage to good use and made a zine all about being a brown girl! With rants, feelings, family histories and more.
I made issue 2, Brown Girls, this year with some contributions from friends, and features a lot on art and music made by rad POC.
I'm hoping it's a zine I can carry on and feature voices of a whole bunch of POC!
If you only read one thing during Black History Month make sure it's something from Rainbow Noir they are posting some great stuff, from people who so often don't get their voice heard.
You never know next year I might have finished that project I started last year, in time for Black History Month!
Happy October!
One of the best months of the year and to celebrate I am doing a special offer on my All Of Them Witches collection!
If you buy some original art, you get a free poster AND zine.
If you buy a poster you get a free zine!
All can be found HERE!
Who doesn't love a notebook?
Now in my webstore two designs of 48 page A6 notebooks.
There is 2019, which features images from my felt collection 2019.
And What, is she Black now? which features images from my What, is she Black now? felt collection.
Each notebook comes in a choice of plain, dotted, lined or squared paper, perfect for drawing, list making, knitting patterns, cross stitch design, writing and much more!
GET THEM HERE!
I don't often post on this blog, I think it's because I post more on the Sugar Paper Zine blog and don't want to feel like I am repeating myself.
But seeing as this is mostly a news place for the art and zines I make I thought it might be nice to see what I have done in the past year (and because I am procrastinating!)
Zine wise I put out the usual, two issues of Sugar Paper and an issue of Poor Lass zine.
I also made a couple of more personal zines. One called Brown Girl, which was mostly about, me being a Brown Girl. It had a great response, so much so I am currently working on issue 2, that I want to feature more voices than just my own! the other one I made was a mini one page zine I did during International zine month about Becoming an Artist.
A zine first for me was making a zine mostly digitally! So no cutting and sticking or hard copy! this was the zine I made for the All Of Them Witches project I did at Halloween. It was good to learn new skills, but for now I am happy with a pair of scissors in one hand and a glue stick in the other!
Yiiikes! had another outing, creating an upside down living room for Baduncle at Sounds from the Other City and winter saw The glowing world of Snotboobs make another appearance.
I started on a new series of felt works that was a severed head with Medusa plaits under a bell jar, sadly life/being slow/other projects got in the way of completing this but 2015 is the year.
As mentioned the zine for All Of Them Witches was part of a project I did at Halloween where I made small felt depictions of 12 of my favourite fictional witches!
My favourite commission of the year was to do the cover of Weezer's Blue album! (sadly I am rubbish at taking/remembering to take decent photos of my work!)
In 2015 I look forward to more zine making (I want to write one about people's favourite spaces) finishing projects I start, making more art and noise with Yiiikes!
It might interest some people that I got modern and joined Instagram in 2014 and post pictures of my socks and snacks and cats and the art I make! Go follow me @seleenalavernedaye
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