SuperRare: The Dancing Banana

"The Dancing Banana" is my SuperRare genesis drop part of a collective drop, "Body Politics" curated by @theblkchain (Twitter).

"Body Politic" brings together a diverse group of artists using artificial intelligence (AI) to explore themes of Black womanhood at the intersection of race, gender, and power dynamics. It's an honor to be included as the participants received an invitation to SuperRare, which is an exclusive invite-only NFT art platform.

"The Dancing Banana" is a reinterpretation of an oil painting I made years ago, inspired by the iconic Josephine Baker. I wanted to challenge the hypersexualization of black women and the male gaze that often objectifies us, while also reclaiming our femininity and agency.

I was a beginner at the time, teaching myself how to paint when it came to life, but felt too ashamed to share it. I struggled with sharing her bare body as I didn't want to sexualize black women, fueling the stigma already placed on our bodies.

I drew a banana skirt on her in blind frustration one day. Mostly upset at the way i censored myself, hiding my voice from the rest of the world, while also being upset at how the world has thought this way, way before I ever showed up.

As you engage with this artwork, I invite you to consider how society often forces black women to navigate a world that perceives them through the lens of stereotypes and prejudice. How might these assumptions and biases affect our understanding of black femininity?

By using composition, color, and texture to create a sense of tension and complexity, I hope to challenge your assumptions and invite you to see black women as we truly are: beautiful, complex, and soft, without sacrificing our agency or denying our sexuality.

The Dancing Banana was sold for 1ETH within 24 hrs! If you would like to check out my page on SuperRare, click here.