Alchemizing trauma into something beautiful ft. Nafis M. White

Hair, Embodied Knowledge, Ancestral Recall, Audacity of Survival, Bobby Pins. These are the materials of the sculptural work Oculus by artist Nafis M. White, whom you’ll get to know in this episode. In the midst of injustice, racism, and double standards in the current state of the world, how could we show up for ourselves and for others, with care, empathy, and solidarity? Today’s guest, Nafis, is one of the people I would turn to. Stemming from Nafis’ work: Strand (2019), A Burst of Light (2018), and Oculus (2021), we reflect on BIPOC bodies in spaces, institutional racism, honoring African and African American traditions, and so much more. I hope you feel the positive energy and the abundance of wisdom of my guest today, and find the strength in yourself to continue to show up for you and for people in need. Nafis M. White is an interdisciplinary artist based in Providence, RI, USA. White draws inspiration from the rich Diaspora of experiences and traditions of Black beauty and self care built upon centuries old histories of embodied knowledge that honors, celebrates, and values the innovation, technology and imagination carried through and passed on by the fingertips of Black people. Through play and continuous exploration, White employs her research on the intricate customs of Victorian Hair Weaving and mourning traditions and appropriates them using Black hair, beauty products, and hairstyling techniques where they were never imagined to take up space and esteem. White’s work has been shown at the RISD Museum, the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, University of New Mexico Art Museum, National Queer Arts Festival San Francisco, and many more. Check out the website of Nafis M. White: https://www.nafiswhite.com/