Artistic reflections from the National Black Canadians Summit
Three artists create art live as part of a CBC Creator Network project at the National Black Canadians Summit
Three Black artists Bria Miller, Damini Awoyiga and I'thandi Munro created custom artwork live on-site at the CBC Creator Network's We Create: Artist Studio at the National Black Canadians Summit in Halifax last summer.
Summit delegates helped inform their work by interacting and sharing their experiences and ideas with the artists.
See their art here:
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
BRIA MILLER - DIGITAL ILLUSTRATOR
Bria Miller is a Queer, African Nova Scotian, born and raised in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. A multidisciplinary visual artist, Bria has worked as a curator, graphic facilitator, a DJ, and poet. She has been pursuing digital art creation, with a growing interest in animation and visual storytelling.
In the We Create: Artist Studio, Bria captured conversations and digital portraits of some featured guest speakers and attendees in a set of three illustrated dynamic graphic artworks. Each one represents a day of the Summit and important topics of conversation and themes.
DAMINI AWOYIGA - POET
Damni Awoyiga is a 15-year-old artistic creator and spoken word poet living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She writes, draws, crafts, sews, sings and creates to express herself. Damni's art reflects justice, racial equity, gender equity, body empowerment, overcoming racism and sexism and not being afraid to speak up.
In the We Create: Artist Studio, Damini engaged with participants to create interactive poetry over the course of the Summit. Her poem Black Sea was inspired by these interactions.
I'THANDI MUNRO - PHOTOGRAPHY
I'thandi Munro is a mixed Afro-Euro L'nu woman living in K'jipuktuk, Mi'kma'ki, the unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq People. Munro is a professional performance and visual artist who uses the representation of line and of lineage as the underlying concepts in her work. She leaves space for her pieces to naturally evolve through reaction and discussion.
In the We Create: Artist Studio, I'thandi Munro captured the experiences of participants through photography portraits and interviews.
READ MORE:
- National Black Canadians Summit, July 29-31 in Halifax
- National Black Canadians Summit to focus on experiences of African Nova Scotians
- Author, Moashella Shortte, on youth, writing, and "the joy in the coming together of Black folk"
- Poet Laureate, Titilope Sonuga, on telling Black stories: "An essential part of knowing who we are."
- Poet Laureate, Randell Adjei, on the power of words, the Black experience and mentorship
- June 22, 2022: How a young African Nova Scotian poet and activist found her voice
Being Black in Canada highlights stories about Black Canadians. (CBC)