Curation
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Devon Kayne
Telfar x Devon Kayne
archives with telfar & timberland.
featuring the mid pull on telfar x timberland boots, the pink telfar jumbo thank you plastic bag, scans of the ruched elastic handles, tonal seams & interior on the black telfar liquor store plastic bag, silver telfar hoops & an archived portrait of a two vai women circa nineteen hundreds from the open library smithsonian archive.
inspired by anthropologist & princess of the vai people of liberia, fatima massaquoi fahbulleh & liberian american designer & founder of telfar; telfar clemens.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
001
archives with telfar & timberland.
featuring the mid pull on telfar x timberland boots, the pink telfar jumbo thank you plastic bag, scans of the ruched elastic handles, tonal seams & interior on the black telfar liquor store plastic bag, silver telfar hoops & an archived portrait of a two vai women circa nineteen hundreds from the open library smithsonian archive.
inspired by anthropologist & princess of the vai people of liberia, fatima massaquoi fahbulleh & liberian american designer & founder of telfar; telfar clemens.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
002
Yemaya’s Whisper
archived portrait of three igbo women in nigeria circa 1921 & aweng chuol for mugler by dudi hasson.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
98 Acinom Benin
still of monica calhoun from the players club, archived portrait of yoruba woman from early 1800’s, transparent scan of raw cotton.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
The Quiet Trade
portrait of trade standing in the kitchen, transparent scan of camel thorns on the vachellia erioloba; a tree native to south africa, page 263 of assata by assata shakur; an affirmation titled “the tradition”.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
ANTHOCYANIN
archived vintage portrait of xl, sixteen separate scans of various species of cowrie shells native to africa: gold ring cowrie, eroded cowrie, lynx cowrie, histrio cowrie, tiger cowrie, money cowrie, caurica cowrie, errones cowrie, ziczac cowrie, fimbriated cowrie, staphylaea cowrie, mole cowrie, map cowrie, nucleus cowrie, chickpea cowrie, labrolineata cowrie & one blood orange.
inspired by anthocyanin, salivation, & the neurochemistry behind lust; specific to the d2 & d4 dopamine receptors.
@saintheron x saint heron digital archive library x @anansixstudios.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
Blue Voodoo
kinda speechless honestly, was just finishing these pieces this week, so today definitely feels surreal. the entire body of work & visuals for d’angelo’s second album voodoo, is actually what made me even want to pick up a camera or curate visuals in the first place.
a melody so specific in dialect & a demeanor that simply can’t be duplicated. sending so much warmth to imani & morocco. michael, angie, & d’angelo, may the clouds drip molasses & their harmonies reverberate thru the sky.
archived portrait of michael eugene archer x d’angelo, scans of the album art shot by thierry les goués in havana, cuba circa nineteen ninety nine for d’angelo’s voodoo album & a transparent scan of a jar of blue magic.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
001
kinda speechless honestly, was just finishing these pieces this week, so today definitely feels surreal. the entire body of work & visuals for d’angelo’s second album voodoo, is actually what made me even want to pick up a camera or curate visuals in the first place.
a melody so specific in dialect & a demeanor that simply can’t be duplicated. sending so much warmth to imani & morocco. michael, angie, & d’angelo, may the clouds drip molasses & their harmonies reverberate thru the sky.
archived portrait of michael eugene archer x d’angelo, scans of the album art shot by thierry les goués in havana, cuba circa nineteen ninety nine for d’angelo’s voodoo album & a transparent scan of a jar of blue magic.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
002
Page Two Sixty Three
the eerie tillandsia usneoides, a plant native to humid subtropical climates of the deep south, including states specifically like louisiana, mississippi, & arkansas, portrait of winny nzeyimana with make up by kati fierkins, cover of assata by assata shakur, two blood oranges, two black carbon steel machetes, ogogoro libation offering, & sixteen separate scans of various species of cowrie shells native to africa: gold ring cowrie, eroded cowrie, lynx cowrie, histrio cowrie, tiger cowrie, money cowrie, caurica cowrie, errones cowrie, ziczac cowrie, fimbriated cowrie, staphylaea cowrie, mole cowrie, map cowrie, nucleus cowrie, chickpea cowrie, labrolineata cowrie.
inspired by page two sixty three of assata by assata shakur.
@saintheron x saint heron digital archive library x @anansixstudios.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
ODE 2 MISS MAJOR
miss major griffin gracy, I could write paragraphs of your duality & tenacity thru your time here, but instead I will simply let your energy alone radiate thru this portrait. if you know, you know. rest easy queen & sending so much love to everyone close & far.
archived portrait of miss major at the gilded grape, new york circa 1970, portrait of the apollo theater; originally during the 1960s, a popular attraction at the apollo theater was the jewel box revue, featuring performances from other artists such as stormé delarverie & of course the icon miss major. archived custom dress made by patrice for miss major that was worn while she was sitting on the back of a drop top coupe at the age of sixty eight during san francisco pride year two thousand fourteen, a true scorpio.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
001
miss major griffin gracy, I could write paragraphs of your duality & tenacity thru your time here, but instead I will simply let your energy alone radiate thru this portrait. if you know, you know. rest easy queen & sending so much love to everyone close & far.
archived portrait of miss major at the gilded grape, new york circa 1970, portrait of the apollo theater; originally during the 1960s, a popular attraction at the apollo theater was the jewel box revue, featuring performances from other artists such as stormé delarverie & of course the icon miss major. archived custom dress made by patrice for miss major that was worn while she was sitting on the back of a drop top coupe at the age of sixty eight during san francisco pride year two thousand fourteen, a true scorpio.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
002
S’AHSIEK REVENGE
alexander kosi for le naufrage by jean paul gaultier & ludovic de saint serrin shot by stuart winecoff for jean paul gaultier haute couture spring/summer two thousand twenty five, archived portraits of taral hicks as keisha in the film belly; released in nineteen ninety eight, with cinematography by malik hassan sayeed & directed by hype willams. scan of a bottle of florida water; originally created sixty three years before the thirteenth amendment & predominately used by african & afro caribbean peoples specifically in america who were forbidden from their ancestral practices. used as a cologne, offering, & believed to spiritually cleanse, it was even often subtly used in floor washes & cleaning linens in homes thus intentionally morphing everyday task into ritual without detection.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
001
alexander kosi for le naufrage by jean paul gaultier & ludovic de saint serrin shot by stuart winecoff for jean paul gaultier haute couture spring/summer two thousand twenty five, archived portraits of taral hicks as keisha in the film belly; released in nineteen ninety eight, with cinematography by malik hassan sayeed & directed by hype willams. scan of a bottle of florida water; originally created sixty three years before the thirteenth amendment & predominately used by african & afro caribbean peoples specifically in america who were forbidden from their ancestral practices. used as a cologne, offering, & believed to spiritually cleanse, it was even often subtly used in floor washes & cleaning linens in homes thus intentionally morphing everyday task into ritual without detection.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
002
The Warmth of Other Suns
#001
archives of a mgbedike face mask carved by the igbo peoples of nigeria. wood, gum, basketry, metal, & cloth from the nineteenth century.
archives of a nkisi nkondi figure carved by the songye peoples of the democratic republic of the congo. wood, pigment, copper, metal, glass beads, raffia, antelope horns, goat horns & civet hide from the nineteenth century.
separated by thousands of miles across decadent land, unfamiliar waters, & multiple claimed & unclaimed territories across the continent of africa, what would it look like for the igbo peoples: a igbo speaking peoples who reside in nigeria & the songye peoples: a kisongye speaking peoples who come from the congo, actually met one another? what would the clothing of kenyans & eretrians sharing thread & needle look like? what specific details would elicit artistic similarities & differences when seen or found by each other? what was considered aesthetically pleasing versus displeasure when constructing the clothing or masks amongst other various sub saharan africans way before the interruption of colonizers with african sand under their feet?
of course it would be naive to negate the clear & realistic potential for these two african peoples to engage in defending one’s bloodline just as humans have done since the beginning of time, however, there is also the clear potential for a deep love & exchange, what would these half west african half east african deities look like? the taste of the food? the scents of perfume & colognes? the facial structure?
from the trees in nigeria, to the soil in the congo, to the sugary heat in fort smith, arkansas; i ask myself as a boy from the south what do you think these masks, deities, & figures would look like if you conjured ideations of these just as your ancestors did before you?
inspired by the warmth of other suns by isabel wilkerson this six part series attempts to answer these questions through diligent research & the conjuring of one’s own designs & influence when coming across these archives. enjoyed researching this & with love, from me to you.
archives sourced thru anansi studios founded by devon kayne.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
#002
archives of two separate kindombolo face masks carved by the pende peoples of the democratic republic of the congo. wood & pigment both from the twentieth century.
separated by thousands of miles across decadent land, unfamiliar waters, & multiple claimed & unclaimed territories across the continent of africa, what would it look like for two artists of the pende peoples: a kipende speaking peoples who reside in the congo, to conjure together on a piece verses independently of one another? what would the clothing of kenyans & eretrians sharing thread & needle look like? what specific details would elicit artistic similarities & differences when seen or found by each other? what was considered aesthetically pleasing versus displeasure when constructing the clothing or masks amongst other various sub saharan africans way before the interruption of colonizers with african sand under their feet?
of course it would be naive to negate the clear & realistic potential for these two african peoples to engage in defending one’s bloodline just as humans have done since the beginning of time, however, there is also the clear potential for a deep love & exchange, what would these half west african half east african deities look like? the taste of the food? the scents of perfume & colognes? the facial structure?
from the trees in the congo, to the soil in angola, to the sugary heat in fort smith, arkansas; i ask myself as a boy from the south what do you think these masks, deities, & figures would look like if you conjured ideations of these just as your ancestors did before you?
inspired by the warmth of other suns by isabel wilkerson this six part series attempts to answer these questions through diligent research & the conjuring of one’s own designs & influence when coming across these archives. enjoyed researching this & with love, from me to you.
archives sourced thru anansi studios founded by devon kayne.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
#003
archives of a tankagle face mask carved by the dan peoples of côte d’lvoire. wood, pigment, fiber & metal from the twentieth century.
archives of one handmade headdress made by the fang peoples of gabon. basketry, fiber, cowrie shells, & cloth.
separated by thousands of miles across decadent land, unfamiliar waters, & multiple claimed & unclaimed territories across the continent of africa, what would it look like for the dan peoples: a mande speaking peoples who reside in côte d’lvoire & the fang peoples: a bantu speaking peoples who come from gabon, actually met one another? what would the clothing of kenyans & eretrians sharing thread & needle look like? what specific details would elicit artistic similarities & differences when seen or found by each other? what was considered aesthetically pleasing versus displeasure when constructing the clothing or masks amongst other various sub saharan africans way before the interruption of colonizers with african sand under their feet?
of course it would be naive to negate the clear & realistic potential for these two african peoples to engage in defending one’s bloodline just as humans have done since the beginning of time, however, there is also the clear potential for a deep love & exchange, what would these half west african half east african deities look like? the taste of the food? the scents of perfume & colognes? the facial structure?
from the trees in gabon, to the soil in côte d’lvoire, to the sugary heat in fort smith, arkansas; i ask myself as a boy from the south what do you think these masks, deities, & figures would look like if you conjured ideations of these just as your ancestors did before you?
inspired by the warmth of other suns by isabel wilkerson this six part series attempts to answer these questions through diligent research & the conjuring of one’s own designs & influence when coming across these archives. enjoyed researching this & with love, from me to you.
archives sourced thru anansi studios founded by devon kayne.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
#004
archives of a two headed nkisi nkondi mbwa carved & adorned by the yombe & kongo peoples of the democratic republic of the congo. wood, pigment, & metal from the nineteenth century.
archives of a n’tomo kun face mask carved by the bamana peoples of mali. wood, pigment, fiber, & cowrie shells from the nineteenth century.
separated by thousands of miles across decadent land, unfamiliar waters, & multiple claimed & unclaimed territories in across the continent of africa, what would it look like for the yombe peoples: a kiyombe speaking peoples who reside in the congo, & the bamana peoples: a bambara speaking peoples who come from mali, actually met one another? what would the clothing of kenyans & eretrians sharing thread & needle look like? what specific details would elicit artistic similarities & differences when seen or found by each other? what was considered aesthetically pleasing versus displeasure when constructing the clothing or masks amongst various sub saharan africans way before the interruption of colonizers with african sand under their feet?
of course it would be naive to negate the clear & realistic potential for these two african peoples to engage in defending one’s bloodline just as humans have done since the beginning of time, however, there is also the clear potential for a deep love & exchange, what would these half west african half east african deities look like? the taste of the food? the scents of perfume & colognes? the facial structure?
from the trees in mali, to the soil in the congo, to the sugary heat in fort smith, arkansas; i ask myself as a boy from the south what do you think these masks, deities, & figures would look like if you conjured ideations of these just as your ancestors did before you?
inspired by the warmth of other suns by isabel wilkerson this six part series attempts to answer these questions through diligent research & the conjuring of one’s own designs & influence when coming across these archives. enjoyed researching this & with love, from me to you.
archives sourced thru anansi studios founded by devon kayne.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
#005
archives of an edan ògbóni forged by the yoruba peoples of nigeria. brass from the nineteenth century. a ciwara kunw carved by the bamana peoples of mali. wood, pigment, metal, brass, tacks & grasses from the twentieth century. a sogoni kun carved by the bamana peoples of mali. wood & pigment from the nineteenth century. a n’tomo kun face mask carved by the bamana peoples of mali. wood, pigment, fiber, & cowrie shells from the nineteenth century.
separated by thousands of miles across decadent land, unfamiliar waters, & multiple claimed & unclaimed territories across the continent of africa, what would it look like for the yoruba peoples: a yoruba speaking peoples who reside in nigeria/benin & the bamana peoples: a bambara speaking peoples who come from mali, actually met one another? what would the clothing of kenyans & eretrians sharing thread & needle look like? what specific details would elicit artistic similarities & differences when seen or found by each other? what was considered aesthetically pleasing versus displeasure when constructing the clothing or masks amongst other various sub saharan africans way before the interruption of colonizers with african sand under their feet?
of course it would be naive to negate the clear & realistic potential for these two african peoples to engage in defending one’s bloodline just as humans have done since the beginning of time, however, there is also the clear potential for a deep love & exchange, what would these half west african half east african deities look like? the taste of the food? the scents of perfume & colognes? the facial structure?
from the trees in benin, to the soil in mali, to the heat in fort smith, arkansas; i ask myself as a boy from the south what do you think these masks, deities, & figures would look like if you conjured ideations of these just as your ancestors did before you?
inspired by the warmth of other suns by isabel wilkerson this six part series attempts to answer these questions through diligent research & the conjuring of one’s own designs & influence when coming across these archives from me to you.
archives sourced thru anansi studios founded by devon kayne.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.
#006
archives of an edan ògbóni forged by the yoruba peoples of nigeria. brass from the nineteenth century. a ciwara kunw carved by the bamana peoples of mali. wood, pigment, metal, brass, tacks & grasses from the twentieth century. a sogoni kun carved by the bamana peoples of mali. wood & pigment from the nineteenth century. a n’tomo kun face mask carved by the bamana peoples of mali. wood, pigment, fiber, & cowrie shells from the nineteenth century.
separated by thousands of miles across decadent land, unfamiliar waters, & multiple claimed & unclaimed territories across the continent of africa, what would it look like for the yoruba peoples: a yoruba speaking peoples who reside in nigeria/benin & the bamana peoples: a bambara speaking peoples who come from mali, actually met one another? what would the clothing of kenyans & eretrians sharing thread & needle look like? what specific details would elicit artistic similarities & differences when seen or found by each other? what was considered aesthetically pleasing versus displeasure when constructing the clothing or masks amongst other various sub saharan africans way before the interruption of colonizers with african sand under their feet?
of course it would be naive to negate the clear & realistic potential for these two african peoples to engage in defending one’s bloodline just as humans have done since the beginning of time, however, there is also the clear potential for a deep love & exchange, what would these half west african half east african deities look like? the taste of the food? the scents of perfume & colognes? the facial structure?
from the trees in benin, to the soil in mali, to the heat in fort smith, arkansas; i ask myself as a boy from the south what do you think these masks, deities, & figures would look like if you conjured ideations of these just as your ancestors did before you?
inspired by the warmth of other suns by isabel wilkerson this six part series attempts to answer these questions through diligent research & the conjuring of one’s own designs & influence when coming across these archives from me to you.
archives sourced thru anansi studios founded by devon kayne.
wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.