Baptism

“Baptism,” 2025, Fiberglass Resin, 49"x28"x31"

This artwork represents the culmination of my Sacred Waters series, a body of work deeply rooted in spiritual ritual, ancestral memory, and the embodied experience of transformation.

The series began from an intimate and tender place: singing lullabies to my infant. As I repeated those melodies, I found myself moved by the chord progressions—they began to echo the tones and rhythms of traditional Negro spirituals. In my mind, I envisioned a woman, clothed in white, lifting her voice in song. That image stayed with me: a figure both grounded and transcendent, calling forth something ancient.

As I continued to reflect and create, I was drawn to the histories of my ancestors—tracing their forced journey from the African continent to Turtle Island. Through this research, I found myself returning again and again to a question: Where, in the midst of unspeakable violence and displacement, did my enslaved ancestors experience moments of beauty, peace, and spiritual connection? I imagined one such sacred space to be the praise house, where songs and rituals offered solace and transcendence. And among these rituals, baptism stood out as a deeply symbolic act of renewal and liberation.

With Baptism, I wanted to create something life-sized—a full presence, yet not wholly corporeal. I chose fiberglass resin as my medium because of its dual nature: it is both delicate and durable, transparent and enclosing. The material forms an echo of a body—a shell that suggests presence and absence, memory and myth. Its glossy, glass-like finish evokes water, referencing the moment one emerges from a baptismal pool, wet and transformed.

Because resin is sticky and takes time to cure, the piece naturally captured micro-debris—tiny insects, dust, even strands of my own hair. These remnants remain suspended in the form, adding to its layered materiality. For me, this detail feels deeply symbolic: the dress, like water, holds the world within it. It is literally imbued with my DNA, connecting my body and breath to this ancestral ritual.

Ultimately, Baptism is about transmission—of stories, of songs, of spirit. It is a vessel for memory, grief, praise, and transformation. It stands as both an offering and a testament to the sacredness of Black life, past and present.

This work will be on view at the Kota Alliance in West Harlem at the show “Threaded Realities: Woman, Identity & Fashion,” opening on November 6th, 2025, from 6-8pm. 43 St Nicholas Place, New York, NY 10031

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