There is always more to do.
YARIJEY
What does the MTL #BLM street mural mean to you? How was your experience creating this outstanding art piece with various Montreal artists?
To me, la fresque meant exactly what it says, which is that our black lives actually really fucking matters, for real, and I mean all Black lives matter. As a Black Trans man the location of the fresque was particularly meaningful. As an artist I was honoured to be part of such an important and beautiful creative process. For me the experience was magical, a bit healing. I felt at home somehow.
Can you tell us about your creative process or your practice? Is there a main message you want to communicate when creating your art? If yes, what is it?
I collaborated with a very talented artist, Michaëlle Sergile, we brought together our respective practices, graphic design for me and textile for Michaëlle, while focusing on a common thread of decolonization and re-narration of our Afro-Descendant identities.
How did you come up with the idea for the artwork of your letter on the Mtl #BLM street mural and can you help us understand its meaning ? And where do you see your art going: what are some of your dreams/goals, short or long term?
Yes, we were interested in the different patterns of wax fabric for what they allow in terms of reinterpretation. Orally conveyed, the names of the motifs resist time and are truly part of the heritage (see reference). It is an iconographic language that has been created, made of symbols, colours and slogans (see reference). The beauty of wax comes from these names and the stories that accompany them. We have therefore taken the liberty of re-imagining these symbols where each handcrafted motif is unique and where the striking colours of our letters become political through their hyper-visibility.
Reference : Zinsou Fondation (2019). Wax Stories, Archives du Présent. https://issuu.com/fondationzinsou/docs/wax_stories
How has the current social crisis (COVID & BLM) impacted your career and your art or creative process? Do you think art plays a role in the fight against racial inequality and police brutality?
It is very hard to answer. I can only speak for myself. The current social crisis has impacted every part of my life, not just my career or my creative process. It has made me even more vulnerable financially, emotionally, physically and psychologically. On top of that, it has made me more visible to the world as a Black and Trans body moving through a white supremacist, patriarchal heteronormative society, soooo yeah difficult and scary at times.
What are some of the things we can do individually and as a community to fully support black artists? And, what type of changes would you like to see in the arts and culture field ?
Oh wow big question…
Pay black artists always no matter what, make sure that black artists are more represented and included in every convos, conference, exhibitions, art institutions, on a regular and constant basis, not just a one off in February. More ongoing fundings, mentorship programs. Have Black artists in art education curriculum, have black art teachers, black graphic designers. Black creatives in high positions jobs in creative industries and art institutions. There is always more to do.
About YARIJEYYarijey est titulaire d’un baccalauréat en Arts appliqués de la Wellington Institute of technology (Nouvelle-Zélande) et d’une maîtrise en Recherche, Mention Arts Plastiques, spécialité Pratiques Plastiques Contemporaines de l’Université Paul-Valéry (France). Son travail existe dans l’espace de fabrication plutôt que dans le produit fini. Ses œuvres sont des processus exploratoires qui, par le biais de la déconstruction et du récit, remettent en question des idées reçues qui ne sont pour l’artiste que le résultat de constructions sociales et historiques. Son but est d’engager un dialogue entre le processus de la création et la personne qui regarde. Pour ce faire, il utilise le graphisme, le découpage, la répétition, les motifs, la photocopie et le collage sur des médiums tels que le stop-motion, les fanzines ou le street art. The Creative Team
