TK Jones
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
8156
8156 started off as an experimental piece as I explored weaving as a new medium. I incorporated found material such as fabric (kinte cloth, red) and a wooden frame. I realized that it was a pure reflection of who I was. The frame representing as the boundaries of my life, and the fiber work within representing my true essence. Every aesthetic choice was unintentional, but even my process mirrored how I handle situations in everyday life when I'm under pressure.
"That's my boy"
The 2020 coronavirus pandemic has greatly affected me mentally, physically and financially. I was let go from my job because of the virus outbreak and lost another because I had been exposed. The constant uncertainty of not knowing what was in store took a toll on me. Eventually, I found a retail job that I loved. One day when I came into work, I found one of my black coworkers crying because she had been called a racial slur. Naturally, I felt sorrow, whereas, prior to the pandemic and the presidential election, I would have felt anger. This instance made me realize a major rise in emotional strain black people have to endure.
We, as an oppressed group of people, try to respectfully and responsibly exercise our rights to protest injustices. “That’s my boy” is a visual representation of how black professionals have to mute themselves and hold back commentary in response to racial micro aggressions.
We, as an oppressed group of people, try to respectfully and responsibly exercise our rights to protest injustices. “That’s my boy” is a visual representation of how black professionals have to mute themselves and hold back commentary in response to racial micro aggressions.