ME. MAE. I

P E R S P E C T I V E S F R O M A L L I YA H A L L E N ISSUE I

ME. MAE. I

“YOUR LIFE IS ALREADY ARTFUL, WAITING, JUST WAITING, FOR YOU TO M A K E I T A R T. ” –TONI MORRISON

CONTENTS

ABOUT HANGING TA L I A TOSIN AMAKA EZE N YA S A THE.BLACK.WOMAN. H A D I Y YA H SISTERS KIKI IN ILE IFE KEEP IT S H A N TA L HANNAH INK RED POWER FIGURES GRIEF S TA N D I N T H E S U N

THIS PHOTO DIARY IS COLLECTION OF INTIMATE MOMENTS. INTENDED TO SHOWCASE MY WORK. I LIVE FOR THE PHOTO AND PROCESS THROUGH THE POETRY AND WORD. THESE IMAGES ARE JUST A SNIPPET OF MY CREATIVE, AS I AM STILL DISCOVERING, E X P E R I E N C I N G , A N D E X PA N D I N G I T.

HANGING. D I S P L AY. O N . O F F. B R O W N . B L U E . L I G H T. S H A D O W S . . . .

R E C R E AT E T H E N A R R AT I V E .

TA L I A .

BROWNS AND YELLOWS. BRONZE. QUEENDOM. BLACK, PURE IN ITS EVERY FORM. DEFINITIVE OF HEART AND LOVE. GROW ANOTHER YEAR TRUER. BE ANOTHER YEAR, BEAUTIFUL.

TOSIN. BLACK. NOIR. NEGRINFINITE S O F T LY C A R I N G A N D W O R K I N G .

H E A R T F U L F R O M E A C H C R E V I C E , T I P, A N D EDGE. SPEAKING REALITY AND SENSE. BEAUTY INDESCRIBABLE.

AMAKA EZE. Y E L L O W. S I G H T. E Y E S .

S E E . S A W. S E E I N G .

OPEN. I N W A R D LY A N D O U T W A R D LY. O T H E R W O R L D LY I N S I G H T. C O M P R E H E N S I B L E A N D R I G H T.

N YA S A H E N D R I X . G R E E N . . .

T H E B O L D . T H E N AT U R A L , T H E G R E E N . G O L D E N A N D S W E E T. F R E S H TO BE LIGHT IS MAGIC. TO GIVE L I G H T I S F R U I T. D R I P S O F S M I L E S , E Y E S O F J O Y. WE ARE HERE.

POWER. L I G H T. C R E AT O R .

MOTHER. SISTER. FRIEND. HEALER. SCHOLAR. THE.BLACK. WOMAN.

H A D I Y YA H .

LINES. BROWN. BLACK. Q U E E N . R I S E . R E S T. L AY. TRUTH SPEAKING AND CORRECT TRUEST OF OUR ALMIGHTY GOD, SHE IS PROUD OF HER DAUGHTER TRUSTING AND BROKEN. FIXING, NONETHELESS, LIVING.

SISTERS DANCE SING PRAISE STRUCTURING BODIES, IN HARMONY TO OLDIES WE CELEBRATE LIFE.

KIKI IN ILE IFE WAV E S A N D S U N L I G H T. RAINING DOWN. LIKE GOD H E R S E L F. GET STOMPED ON

BY CURVES CARESSED BY SMILES AND LAUGHTER. E M A N AT E F I R E .

B R E AT H E I T A N D BURN THEM ALL. A L L T O H E A L W. FORGIVENESS AND SIGHT

J O U R N E Y S . I N A N D O U T, I N A N D O U T, I N A N D O U T O F M E L A N I N .

TA S T I N G PA S S I O N A N D H A R D W O R K . H E R D E S C R I B E D I N E V E R Y F L A V O R .

W H I N E S P E C I A L , R E P R E S E N T. U N F O L D A N D S TA N D S T R O N G SHE CAN’T BE STOPPED. POWER GIVEN. KEEP IT

S H A N TA L SWIM WITH ME THIS STREAM IS RUNNING PLACE YOUR STRENGTH IN MY HAND SUPPORT ME F A C E T H E H E A R TA C H E EMBRACE THE EXPERIENCE DANCE WITH ME I'VE MASTERED THE RHYTHM YOU’VE TA U G H T NO ONE SMILES BETTER THAN YOU NO ONE LIGHTS UP THE ROOM MORE

HANNAH. LINES. OPEN. STRUCTURE/W E F O R M U L AT E . W E F E E L . W E S TA N D , TA K E I N A N D B R E AT H E O U T T H E B E A U T Y.

INK. PERMANENCE IMPERMANENCE I AM SHIFTING.

RED P O P C U LT U R E .

MUSIC. RAP K E E P T H E C O N V E R S AT I O N G O I N G KEEP THE ART ALIVE FROM THE SOUND, TO THE BRAND, T H E S P O R T, T H E C L O T H E S HIP HOP LIVES.

THE DJ K+C SHOW

POWER FIGURES S C R E A M S PA I N , S C R E A M S H O N O R , SCREAMS PRESENCE. I SAW HIM, AND EVEN MORE, I SAW HIS C O L O R . W H AT M A D E M E W A N T T O TA K E T H E P H O T O F R O M V A R I O U S ANGLES WAS THE COLOR OF THE WOOD. I JOURNEYED IN AND OUT OF THE BROWNS, JUST TO FIND L I N E S O F B L A C K , Y E L L O W, A N D RED. I STOOD IN FRONT OF HIM AND TO HIS SIDE IN AWE, AND WITH EACH SNAPSHOT I GOT NEW COLORS. IT WAS FULFILLING, BUT STILL NOT ENOUGH.

“OUR GRIEF IS REAL. WE ARE STILL PEOPLE.”WORDS SHARED BY MS. DIANE AND MS. KITTY

S TA N D I N T H E S U N AND LET THE TRUTH SPILL OUT ACCEPT EVERY TEAR S O A K I T U P J U S T L I K E E A C H S U N R AY PIECE YOURSELF TOGETHER AND DIVE INTO YOUR SOUL

CREDITS PHOTOS OF CREATIVE AFRICA EXHIBIT AT THE PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART TA L I A S C O T T TOSIN ALLIYU AMAKA EZE N YA S A H E N D R I X H A D I Y YA H G R A V E S BARBARA LEACH BESSIE MAE ALLEN KIAMANI WILSON DIOMAND HENRY S H A N TA L TA V E R A S KESON BROWN CHRISTIAN MOTON MS. DIANE EL SAWYER P O E T R Y, P H O T O G R A P H Y, A N D E D I T I N G : A L L I YA H A L L E N

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