shanequa gay

2024

Psalms for Black Girls, Emma Darnell Aviation Museum, 12 September - 18 January, 2024

Psalms for Black Girls is a multi-dimensional exhibition that centers on the lives, presence, and power of Black girls, elevating them to sacred status within the gallery space. At the heart of this exhibition are monumental murals, which depict Black girls in moments of play, movement, and imagination. Rendered larger than life, these girls become icons of reverence and strength, their visibility undeniable and their significance impossible to overlook. By presenting these girls at such a monumental scale, I challenge the historical marginalization of Black women and girls, positioning them not just as subjects but as figures to be venerated. Their scale and presence on the walls transform them from passive representations into active, divine participants in the ongoing narrative of Black liberation and self-actualization.

The act of depicting these girls as sacred icons aligns with the exhibition’s broader theme of reclaiming space and power, particularly in a society where children—especially Black girls—are often viewed as second-class citizens, lacking agency or the ability to influence change. Psalms for Black Girls reimagines Black girlhood as a force of resistance, joy, and potential. The girls in the murals are not mere passive subjects; they are world-builders, shapeshifters, and tricksters, using their bodies and imaginations to defy societal constraints and create new, limitless narratives for themselves. Through their play, they engage with symbols of power—like the black and white American flag—not as passive victims, but as reclaimers of these symbols, reshaping them into tools of self-reclamation and praise.

The photographs of these girls are taken in a vacant church in Alabama, a site imbued with the historical weight of the Black Church as the birthplace of many civil rights movements. Traditionally, the Black church has been a space of spiritual and political refuge, where collective action and resistance have taken root. In Psalms for Black Girls, this vacant church becomes a reimagined space for new narratives. The girls, with their playful and powerful presence, transform the emptiness of the church into a place of creation, where the walls once reverberated with the voices of struggle and hope, now echo with the potential for new stories of self-actualization. The church, in its vacancy, offers space for the imagination to run free, allowing these young girls to become world-builders—crafting new, liberated realities from the very foundation of a space historically dedicated to freedom and justice.

Weaving is a central metaphor throughout the exhibition, with both its literal and symbolic significance tied to the histories of Black women and girls. Plato, in his dialogue The Statesman, used weaving as a metaphor for creating harmony from opposites—an apt reflection of the tensions between race, gender, and power that underpin this exhibition. Weaving, historically associated with women, particularly African and African American women, represents the interconnection of life, culture, and resistance. In this exhibition, weaving also evokes the ways in which African and African American artistic traditions, often appropriated or misunderstood in the Western world, continue to influence contemporary art and culture. Through these tapestries and murals, I highlight how these girls become part of a larger cultural and political fabric—one that has been stitched together through generations of struggle, resilience, and creativity.

Integral to the exhibition are the written Psalms, which have been contributed by African American women from my community. These Psalms—written verses, songs, poetry, and statements—serve as words of encouragement, wisdom, and solidarity directed toward the current and future generations of African American girls. These contributions create an intergenerational dialogue, reminding the girls in the murals, as well as the viewers, that they are not alone. The voices of mothers, grandmothers, activists, artists, and teachers surround these girls, affirming their worth and empowering them to continue their journey of self-actualization. These Psalms form a collective prayer, an unbroken thread of support and affirmation that strengthens the fabric of the exhibition and reinforces the message that Black girls are worthy of visibility, love, and space to exist fully.

Through the combination of monumental murals, intricately woven tapestries, and intergenerational Psalms, Psalms for Black Girls becomes a space of sacred witness, empowerment, and healing. It is a place where Black girls are seen, celebrated, and uplifted. Their visibility is no longer negotiable; their worth is unquestionable. The exhibition stands as a testament to the resilience, creativity, and divine power of Black girls, inviting viewers to reflect on the ways in which these young girls, through their acts of play and imagination, shape the future and challenge the boundaries of race, gender, and power.