About the Cover Artist

For Black Girls Only (FBGO)

Artist Statement

For Black Girls Only (FBGO) is an image made during the inaugural For Black Girls Only event held in Johannesburg and is part of an ongoing project on women of color in spaces of activism and consciousness. I am moved by everything that deeply affects women. Social justice, identity, power, and belonging are overarching themes that drive my learning and direct my visual reflection of the human condition and the world around me. I am interested in diaspora and migrant groups, in the replication of origins, the reestablishment of communities, and the “organization of beliefs” that bind people together.

Creating imagery is speaking with light, shape, and form; it is a testimony of what you are seeing, bearing witness, and in every image, inextricably giving a little bit of yourself. Through it I find myself learning and connecting with people, and connecting more deeply with myself. It stretches me to see and feel more; it is a language that helps me make sense of this life. If even a little more than this happens, if in some tiny way one of my images shifts a perception, sheds light on an issue, inspires dialogue and understanding or moves someone toward a little kindness or a more impactful positive change, I am very grateful.