Get It and Come Back by Kierra Branker
My practice involves reimagining extended representations of Blackness in American culture through image-making. Born in America to a Trinidadian lineage, I’m aware of the complexity within a bicultural identity. In this space, two different customs can be dissimilar, yet speak to one another. Within this influence, my primary interest draws upon the objects that ground one’s sense of self, and perception of community. In my work, I question, “what visual artifacts are valued within the Afro-Caribbean Diaspora?” Furthermore, “how is the value of these items translated over time and passed on locally or regionally; and in what way are these values connected to a collective Black culture?” Under the direction of these questions, I explore the relationship between object and body: focusing on how this relationship is activated by place, personal history, gesture, and ritual. Utilizing photographic techniques, I establish my focus on my friends and family of the Afro-Caribbean Diaspora. I translate this by assembling intimate realities that parallel the experience of an overseas heritage from a distant home. I strive to create discussions around the plurality of black identity in contemporary art.
Kierra Branker lives and works in Orlando, Florida.
To view more work, please visit www.kierrabranker.com or www.instagram.com/knarby
