Relationship is the state of being related or interrelated; a kinship; a romantic or passionate attachment.
The types of relationships that I have made with others have improved certain aspects of my life. When I have gone through challenges and rough patches, my friends, family, and partner were the ones that got me through it. The people that you keep around you take part in shaping who you become in the future. Relationships are the reflections of ourselves that show us ways in which we need to change to become better people. Love & Kinship is an exploration into the types of connections Black people have with each other and with themselves.
I always believed that there was and still is not enough representation of positive Black relationships in society. I realized that Black people as a whole have not been “misrepresented” but historically excluded, especially in the media when it comes to the relationships they have with others and themselves. The misconception people have about us motivated me to create this body of work to show that Black people are beautiful, caring, happy souls. It’s society that has created these false narratives and stereotypes that make us out to be angry, toxic, guarded people. I chose to focus on 4 different types of relationships for this work; family love, friendship, romantic love, and self love to show that we are joyous loving people, and that we can be vulnerable and soft.
