Our Perceived Limitations, 2016
Installations | Exhibitions
“She said they don’t listen to girls that match the color of street corners, said they associated lies with a nose being too wide and for some reason you could never wash off the appearance of crime, she said black was never in style and it was always the wrong size..” (Katiuska Herrand) Our Perceived Limitations meaning how African American women see themselves versus their culture which comes from the fear of not being accepted. This body of work consists of 13 portraits which represents a new approach of confronting the urge for women to be more than just the color of their skin and the culture that holds onto them. Color and texture is used in this series to focus on the beauty of being black and the beauty of being you. Inspired by African culture, Francena incorporates African fabrics and styled head wraps to really embrace the true beauty of what culture is. She strives to share the stories of each woman who has dealt with discrimination based on how they look, where they come from, and what they’ve encountered as being a black woman in society today. Her work combines text as well as its visual component to create a powerful piece.
Links to press:
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/gy5ynw/the-future-is-black-femmes