DNA - BLOODLINES AND THE FAMILY OF MANKIND Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Art and Archaeology, Beijing, China.
DNA - BLOODLINES AND THE FAMILY OF MANKIND is an installation that is inspired by the idea of drawing humanity together. In my exhibit, my personal mitochondrial DNA is shared and complemented with indepth research on 500 years of my family history, and includes the events that shaped it. Exhibit at the Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Art and Archaeology, Beijing, China.
Learning of my own heritage has inspired me to give life to the “lost images and events” of history, and call attention to the long-forgotten victims of slavery in America, and the genocide of millions of Native Americans, while also sharing the cultural richness of African and Native American people. My artwork further celebrates and shares inspiring stories and history from my tribe, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and gives tribute and recognition to all Native American tribes. DNA results of my mitochondrial bloodlines support the exhibition with evidence of my Native American genetic heredity, and its genetic ties to China, while also detailing the Out of Africa migration of all humankind throughout the globe.
The installation seeks to inspire a broader sensory and narrative experience, in an environment where you, the viewer, are fully immersed. The 24ft (8 meter) ship represents several concepts: the origin and journey of mankind out of Africa; the journey my Asian ancestors likely traveled by ship along the coast to the Americas; and the long and horrifying journey millions of Africans experienced as prisoners in large cargo ships specially converted for the purpose of transporting slaves, especially newly purchased African slaves, to the Americas.
The blue color of the faces making up the ship symbolizes the ocean, the blue spirit and sadness experienced by the slaves in transport; it is also used as a psychological tool to balance the horror of the event with a color that helps to promote calm in support of the viewer’s experience.
The images on the ship reflect true-to-life photographs of African American slaves collected from the Library of Congress, which I artistically cropped and embellished for this installation. The transparencies are woven together with twine (representing ancestry ties), and are then tied to a frame made of Chinese bamboo.
On the gallery walls surrounding the ship are images of self-portraits digitally composed and set within the context of my family ancestry, American historical events, and the Native American/Chinese genetic connection. Interspersed in the portraits are maps reflecting man’s journey out of Africa, DNA helix structures, and more.