10 People

As part of my research, I looked into 10 different black people who are creators and/or have had an impact on art and fashion - or are just genuinely interesting. Some of them are LGBTQ+ and some are not.

1) Dennis Rodman

I selected Dennis for his subversive style and flair. Dressing flamboyantly, androgynously and brightly are things black men are shunned for and expected not to do - we as black people are often shamed and dehumanised for being expressive and bold. But Dennis challenged a lot of these norms and became a style icon.

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2) Isaac Julien

Isaac Julien is a filmmaker and installation artist who is most known for his 1989 film "Looking for Langston". It documents the Harlem Renaissance and the lives of black creatives at the time. He blends filmography and installation to create unique viewing experiences and uses vivid storytelling to explore black worlds.

3) Jackie Shane

She was a talented soul and R&B singer and was very prominent in the 60's and 70's. Born in Tennessee, she decided she wanted to escape the Jim Crow south and travelled to Canada with a carnival troupe, originally preforming in drag before announcing she was trans. Jackie was a powerhouse vocalist and lived a long, inspiring life - now appreciated as a trans role model and icon.

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4} Julius Eastman

Julius was a composer from New York active mostly in the 70's and 80's. He composed post-minimalist pieces of music and triumphed in a field dominated by white men and the upper-class. I admire his vibrancy and confidence in who he was “Black to the fullest, a musician to the fullest, a homosexual to the fullest.” he once said. Tragically, he died homeless at 49, but in the years that followed, his music would be revived and preformed, so that his legacy stayed alive - despite him drifting to obscurity in the mid 80's.

5) Luwayne Glass

Going by the stage name DREAMCRUSHER, Luwayne makes what they describe to be "nihilist queer revolt musik" and began doing so on Myspace. Their performances are high-energy and multi-sensorial. As a noise artist, they exist in a highly alternative scene and express this through their art and fashion.

6) Langston Hughs

Langston Hughs was an American poet, activist and playwright among many other things. He was a leader of the Harlem Renaissance and was one of the pioneers of the art form Jazz Poetry. Many of the subjects he writes about inspire courage and question the future, dreams and struggle.

7) Samuel R Delany

Called the "Grand Mater of Science Fiction". Delany is a black science fiction writer who made tremendous waves in a scene dominated by straight white men. He was gay and black - and wasn't afraid to incorporate those aspects into his novels. Black characters had a strong presence in his books which was heavily refreshing and important as the genre of science-fiction, fantasy and the surreal often center white characters and aliens more than black people.

8) Kerry James Marshall

An American painter and one of my favourite artists, Kerry is famed for his beautiful way of capturing the black experience. He paints only black people and emphasises their importance and visibility by giving them literally black skin. He documents beauty, lifestyle, struggle and history - playing with the conventions of painting and what must be depicted. Like him, I wish to place black people at the centre of all of my work and make them the protagonists of my narratives.

9) Maximilian Davis

He is a British fashion designer focussing on depicting black elegance and androgyny. Maximilian Davis' designs are breathtaking and elegant, portraying what I perceive as Afrofuturism. He is on the rise as a designer and breaking into predominantly white spaces. I admire his focus on fashion through a black lense and the composition of his photoshoots - he successfully curates striking shapes and silhouettes.

10) Marvin Gaye

Nicknamed the Prince of Soul and the Prince of Motown, Marvin Gaye was a singer-songwriter who helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 60s. His music has become synonymous with making love and for many black people, black love and intimacy. Soul music is an entirely black genre of which Marvin used to sing about love and the state of the world.

100 PIECES OF RESEARCH

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