"The African in America soon found there to be a twoness in which she/he was to exist. To be both bondsperson and boundless, to be property yet priceless, to yearn for love and home and to possess neither, save for the confines of her/his master’s debased will. From that duplicity, a vast splintering of human identity was spawned and finds its way into the now. In these photographic and mixed media works, I explore the complex navigational skills required to move about the social tapestry of present day life on this side of the Atlantic. We are all layering and shapeshifting in a constant flux of longing; for a safe space to simply exist without fear of deprivation, or violence against our minds and bodies. We shape selves atop selves within other selves, birthing even more in pursuit of the full right of citizenship and the liberties/protections thereof. It is exhausting. It is maddening. It is as necessary as the hope that somehow weaves into our cultural DNA also."
-JA
Joshua Asante is a multi-disciplinary artist, finding homes in photography, music and writing. He lives in Little Rock, AR, and hopes his neighborhood is never fully gentrified.
for more information regarding employment opportunities, or to just say hello, feel free to get in touch.