Akea Brionne

Akea Brionne explores how colonial systems affect cultural storytelling. She starts by photographing images, then digitally manipulates the photographs to create images on a woven surface. She decorates the fabric with sequins and beads and adds padding to give her figures depth. The work is infused with memories, assimilation, and stories of the African diaspora. Brionne, reflecting on her family's move from Belize to New Orleans, sees water as a powerful force. Rainfall and droughts, made more severe by the warming atmosphere, further strain families and communities.