America(nah)
Hand cut brass and kanekalon hair
17”x8” appx
2019
When reflecting on the objects, materials, or traits associated with an American identity there is a vastness and variety of mementos that connect us to our histories here. Collective terms like the one Americana neglect to encompass the complexities of the history of the Americas and the cultural diversities. By using jewelry in an exaggerated form and hair as a chain of connection, the piece relies on these two forms of adornment to recreate a narrative of not only what it means to be American, but also what it means to be black in America.