Black Girl Series by Ryann L. Oakley

BLACK GIRL SERIES.

RYANN L. OAKLEY, MULTIMEDIA ARTIST, WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY (2016).

Too often black women are marginalized in society, especially when it comes to the narrow beauty standards and the limited and negative portrayals of black women in the media. The use of the comic art/ pop art allows me to traverse a world of melodramatic vulnerability that black women are stripped from exploring. I love the graphic and eye catching elements of comic books and wanted to use similar techniques to address issues I face as a black woman; lack of representation, silencing of black female narratives and the appropriation of the black female image. These images became a way to “appropriate” the same privilege that allows white individuals and more advantageous groups in society to wear black identity as an absurd costume. The juxtaposition of light, peachy flesh tones against different hues of brown skin highlights the absurdity of wearing a culture as a mask in addition to highlighting the tragedy that such a privilege cannot be reciprocated by black individuals.

Images: Experiment 2A- “Black Girl, Listen To Yourself” Experiment 3A- “Black Girl, You Will Find Love In Yourself” Experiment 4A- “Black Girl, Your Anger Is Valid” Experiment 5-3- “Me Gritaron Negra” Experiment A- “Black Girl, Its Okay To Cry