Book by: Adjoa Burrowes Image Contribution: Aziza Claudia Gibson-Hunter August 2020

Adjoa was nice enough to deliver her package by hand. Very exciting! In it are carefully packaged folders with papers instructions and two small mock-ups of her final book. Made of cardboard, the book  has a rustic look to it and I love the band she made to hold it secure. Opening the book is a joy, as it cascades into beautiful folded paper. Each of the squares will hold our images, and she even included a few images so we can see how a finished page would appear in the completed book. Adjoa's theme is names, their meaning, the memory encased in them, the reinforcement of a name's power when it is uttered.  Thank you so much Adjoa:  )

 
I began with some sketches, and a couple of phone calls to Adjoa for needed information. I wanted permission to go off the edge of the page (got to stay boundless!) and Adjoa was kind enough to grant it.




 
 
 
Tracing paper helped me to block in where all the folds would be. This helped me to keep the collage  imagery away from the areas that needed to be folded. Hopefully Adjoa will be able  fold the page with no
 problem
 
 
 
.

 

 

Bring on the color, textures, forms, rhythms, and patterns! This piece is for Jamal Williams, a Black male casualty: young, full of potential, sensitive, self aware AND wanting psychiatric help. Jamal was killed after admitting himself for the anxiety he felt after the murder of George Floyd. His family bleeds too. Our spirits take another hit. Jamal means masculine beauty. To work. 





One iteration.




 
 

            The completed piece: Say His Name: Jamal Williams, by Aziza Claudia Gibson-Hunter 2020





Comments

  1. JuleeSeptember 22, 2020 at 12:50 PM

    I'm glad I came to the blog to see your treat, Aziza! It was wrapped so tightly that Francine couldn't even open it at the Highland Book Exchange. The evolution of the work is amazing and very beautiful. The name that was called is being heralded by the ancestors, the viewers, and your sisters who follow you! Kudos to Adjoa. We listened as she quizzically explored her concept. To see the ultimate work was intriguing. The challenge is exhilarating! You met it with a breathtaking response. Wow!

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