Lifeline, 2024, paper and paint, 75cm x 56.3cm x 11.5 cm
‘The approach of the topic is: Geographies of Erasure and Silencing in Academia.
To explore and reveal experiences of the erasure and silencing of Black scholarship in academia.’
My art reflects this tension through the diaspora experience, exploring the delicate balance of navigating spaces that both obscure and amplify identity.
In my work, the bird motif emerges as a symbol of guidance and resilience, the three birds follow one another, charting a path forward while carrying the weight of collective memory.
The three curved lines in my visual language mirror the complexities of living between cultures:
The straight curved line with warm colours in the middle represents a lifeline, grounding and steady.
The two curved lines represent two things, one being protection and guidance, signified by the way they curve inwards, and the other being the struggle of navigating between different cultures, shown through the way that one is incomplete and the other crooked.
This imagery reflects the imperfect negotiation of identity and belonging in a world that demands assimilation while erasing authenticity.
James Esson 