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I would label "the black vanguard" and "Africa fashion" exhibitions as a form of activism. they consisted of work by African creatives across multiple disciplines, presenting each their own perspective, but with the same narrative....taking control of commercial black/African imagery.
This made me question my own motives, with the work I make, I'm not informing nor protesting, more investigating. what am I trying to find out? my position in this gigantic movement.

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The New Black Vanguard presents fifteen black artists, whose vibrant portraits and conceptual images fuse the genres of art and fashion photography in ways that break down long-established boundaries.The images open up conversations around the roles of the black body and black lives as subject matter; collectively, they celebrate black creativity and the cross-pollination between art, fashion, and culture in constructing an image. Seeking to challenge the idea that blackness is homogenous, the works serve as a form of visual activism. The framed work sits alongside vitrines of publications, past and present, that contextualize these images and chart the history of inclusion, and exclusion, in the creation of the commercial black image, while simultaneously proposing a brilliantly re-envisioned future.

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"Africa Fashion means the past, the future and the present at the same time. The joy of life and the joy of colour is completely different and very particular to the continent. It's a language of heritage, it's a language of DNA, it's a language of memories." - Artsi, Fashion Designer, Maison ArtC

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http://www.malimorris.co.uk/profile/texts/PPP30July%20.pdf
"I don't know if these memories have influenced the way my painting developed; I've picked them out from the many because they lead me to think of family, language, the materials & movements of paintings, & finding myself in the space of the world."  <-- Mali Morris speaking on the memories that influenced this particular painting.

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I decided to include this image in here because, although I'm not sure of its relevance to the topic of Identity, I love how loud and expressive it is. The colours, the shapes, the patterns, I could assume this is the Bowling's way of externalising thoughts and feelings as a black British artist. Who are the Morrison boys? family members? what are the maps of? & why are there 2? perhaps his British & guyanese heritage? these would all just be assumptions though.

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same image, I just fixed some of the lines that I didn't like digitally

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Developing ideas gathered from visual materials to move forward. what is the intent behind the images produced?
this one in particular is supposed to mimic African textiles, therefore representing one side of my identity.

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Going back to traditional ways of making art has been a challenge for me, did my final year (ba) digitally due to covid & then took a gap year.

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Not sure if I liked this version, I missed out on a word and the drawing was "too neat"

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I ended project 2 with a question, figuring out my critical position and then not being able to answer it, which ultimately lead to the ideas i have for my major project.

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I think I'm questioning myself too much, to the point where its hindering my ability to move forward. for the 1st etching workshop, I went back to the beginning, this image is based on the book "akata witch", specifically the scene where the main character battles between herself and her spirit.

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Anna Lupas, The solemn process, 1964 - 2008

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The solemn process refers to a traditional ritual involving communal craft work in rural Romania. When the activity fell into decline due to social and economic changes in the country, Lupas tried many ways to immortalise each structure. She defined her role as a bridge between the ancestral and the future.

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during this walk, I was looking at the way people were dressed. the colours and the patterns or lack thereof

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focusing more on shapes ,patterns & colours that people were wearing

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Coming from a multicultural background means being flexible in your personality in order to move in and out of different spaces. At home, I'm in ivory-coast, when I step out, I'm black British, with friends, I'm just Danielle. This image in a way pays "homage" to the way I choose to style my hair or do my makeup, the choice to appear how I want to is a constant that I can rely on.

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"I'm just wearing clothes, What's the harm in that?" I liked this piece from the "Africa fashion" exhibition because it stresses on expression, young African people wanting to show different sides to themselves

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photography = Immortalising . I love these photos because they show us little glimpses of these women's lives. It's like us taking selfies these days, it makes them relatable.

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sketches from the south asian section at the v&a

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One thing that unites all these characters is the way the eyes are drawn, its a reflection of how the artist sees themselves and their people

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My aim here was to analyse each section and find out what features make the art distinct to the culture in which it belongs. These beautifully patterned tiles are from the Middle Eastern section of the museum

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Chris Ofili
Mali Morris RA
Frank Bowling
Yinka Shonibare

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So I did what I do best, scanned the lino cut images digitally and used them as patterns.

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According to West African custom, A masquerade can refer to a performance by masked characters, the performer himself, or the character portrayed by the performer. The African style of masquerade is an outdoor event, performed by men, and sometimes limited to the attendance of men.

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(2nd visual material) Zaouli, A West African (Ivory-Coast)  masquerade. Dressed in the usual bright and colourful patterns

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Looking at things from multiple perspectives 

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Looking at things from multiple perspectives 

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This exercise encouraged us to approach visual material in an explorative manner, So in my case, the book couldn't just be a book. I had to take the effects of time (for example) into account.  Hence the patterns that I drew (stains most likely from food and liquid).

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( 1st visual material) Akata witch by nigerian american author Nnedi Okarafor. The book entails a continuous theme of identity, as the main character discovers different parts of herself and struggles to keep balance between who she believes she is and who she may actually be. keynote: Her way of moving in and out of this new found persona is through masks and masquerades