So long ago, but not particularly far away, my birth was foretold and my mother was given a name to give me upon my arrival. For many years, I would start conversations with new people asking “What does your name mean and where does it come from?” This repeatedly led to short, sometimes confused answers and occasionally served to alienate people as opposed to drawing them closer. It was, in fact, only a few years ago that I finally realized everyone does not have such a story behind their name and that perhaps it would best not to ask. So, instead I make art about names, their meanings, and their evolution. Particularly black names. Like so:
