Ashanté Kindle
Class of 2022
My practice exists as a form of personal healing as I create with a desire to celebrate the history and beauty of Blackness. I find inspiration in the s-curl waves that form in Black hair through wetting and different styling techniques like finger waves and daily brushing. Through the use of mark making in drawing, painting and sculpting, the marks transform into abstracted wave forms that resemble the natural textures that occur in Black hair. I approach durational mark making as a form of labor in relation to the body, emotions, and occupying spaces. The process of creating becomes as important as the final piece as these durational marks begin to represent the echo of a soft whisper or a frenzied scream of emotion. Transformation tends to hide what was once there but can not deny its existence.
