Jazzmin Imani
Born to a Puerto Rican mother and African-American father, my work is informed by the touchpoints between these two identities of African descent. I explore how our cultural markers differ and overlap depending on where we are from in the Americas. I am most interested in how history is felt and remembered––the emotions tied to a historical moment or connection to an ancestor––rather than its diagnostic description. The recovery process of history and memory for a person of African descent in the Americas is forcibly active; we are consistently trying to piece together a past that has been systematically denied. For me, having the time and space to play is an essential step in the process of recovering our history. Through my own experimentation and play as an artist, my work allows me to honor our history while simultaneously progressing towards joy and resistance.
Instagram: @jazzminimani
Born to a Puerto Rican mother and African-American father, my work is informed by the touchpoints between these two identities of African descent. I explore how our cultural markers differ and overlap depending on where we are from in the Americas. I am most interested in how history is felt and remembered––the emotions tied to a historical moment or connection to an ancestor––rather than its diagnostic description. The recovery process of history and memory for a person of African descent in the Americas is forcibly active; we are consistently trying to piece together a past that has been systematically denied. For me, having the time and space to play is an essential step in the process of recovering our history. Through my own experimentation and play as an artist, my work allows me to honor our history while simultaneously progressing towards joy and resistance.
Instagram: @jazzminimani