𓇢𓆸 The expansive field of African, Caribbean, and Afro-American art aesthetics is not new to me, it's true to me 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

Hi there,

my name is Adrienne.

I am drawn to the transatlantic circulation of Black visual vernacular, linked to the Middle Passage, which triangulates West Africa, the Caribbean, and North America, among other sites.

This is pretty vast subject matter.

There are many channels to learn about Black aesthetics–so many cultures, locations, and histories. There's also a lot of blend, transference, and remixing as a result of slavery.

For example, textile and spiritual traditions initially linked to one site can appear in another. I've found this is the case for Adinkra symbols. Created by the Gyaman and Akan people of present-day Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire in the 19th century, these proverbially embedded symbols were first stamped on cloths worn by royalty or for celebrations.They have since been coopted for wide-spread pan-African diasporic use in the U.S.

Scans of 8 cyanotype prints Adinkra symbols made by me as part of a zine in 2025. Each is made with computer paper stencils and sand.

Historical entrypoints that I have been researching lately include:

• West African Adinkra textile symbols
• African Lace-Bark in the Caribbean
• Victorian Jamaican fashion history
• African Burial Ground Memorial in NYC

Photo of Afro-Cuban Elegba rendered in concrete collected by Sidney W. Mintz at a market in Havana (1956). Sourced from Flash of The Spirit African and Afro American Art and Philosophy (Plate 12).