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written by Suhana Rampersad
Art has long been expressed in various forms within the West Indian community. It often highlights our people and culture which is generally absent from mainstream media. For decades West Indians across the globe have relied on Caribbean artists to big us up, to accurately represent us. Thanks to artists like Afeefah Haniff, we are starting to see more visual representation of Caribbean women.
[Additional Read: Meet Laura Bonas-Palmer, Founder of Newark’s Akwaaba Gallery]
Her project, #coloredgirlsandcoloredwalls is a visual project which celebrates women of color photographed against vibrant art backdrops and murals, representative of each woman’s individualism. The project encourages community and a sense of celebration. It is the sharing of “our journeys of transgressing barriers while still embodying our truth and power.” Haniff is breaking the trend and culture of silence by creating space for women of color to share their stories and be seen.
“I want people, women especially, to perceive this project as a source of community. I want women to find confidence and comfort in sharing their stories and learning about others. I want women of color to value and understand their worth and more importantly to always act their worth.”
We sat down with Haniff and delved deeper into the #coloredgirlsandcoloredwalls project.
Why did you start coloredgirlsandcoloredwalls ?
“The visual project’s intention is to creatively own and celebrate our narrative. The colored walls and murals represent our struggles and the beauty of overcoming those struggles while becoming ourselves. This is represented by us, women of color, as we stand in front of these walls.”
How do you hope the visual project will impact the community?
“The beauty of this project is that #coloredgirlsandcoloredwalls becomes a movement of sharing stories. There are five interview questions included so women of color everywhere have the opportunity to gain a connection by sharing their stories paired with a photo of them in front of a mural that represents them. This allows us to really build this visual project into an online community with each submission — one of support, comfort and representation.”
Do you think female Caribbean artists are underrepresented? “
“I definitely feel that there is inadequate representation of our work and artistry within the larger population for many reasons. It is the responsibility of creative platforms to highlight artists, but a lot of times our work gets low-balled or put on the back burner. ‘Next time’ becomes a norm. Then there’s worry that the audience might not relate to our work. But I think this is changing as others become more aware of our work’s worth and the constant advocacy that we have to implement behind ourselves and our art. It also provides an opportunity to build more platforms that highlight female Caribbean artists, such as Caribbean Collective Magazine and others, holding this space for us to grow and share our art.”
When did you first discover you had an interest in artistry?
“Since I was a lil gyal in my lil village in Guyana! I was always in awe of the artists around me, always interested in the creative & design aspect of school projects, and always drew inspiration from my surroundings; people, my religion, nature etc. As I grew and migrated, I started to cultivate a better understanding of the scope of this creative journey and began to embody creativity in all aspects of my life; illustrations, photography, fashion, make-up, lettering, poster designs, painting, writing, arabic calligraphy etc. I truly enjoy nourishing the Creative inside me and letting her grow.”
When did you move to Canada?
“I migrated to Canada from Guyana in 2006. But you know the saying, you can take the gyal outta Guyana but you can’t take Guyana outta de gyal!”
When was the project produced?
“The hashtag began in 2017 but the actual transformation into a Visual Project began in 2020 through the creative portrait and interview sessions that I conducted in Toronto. I hope to continue leading more of these sessions and sharing stories on my own website this year; be on the lookout!”
Haniff has developed a huge amount of respect and love for the women that have joined the project within the past year. Their stories are inspiring and she is thankful for the new seeds of friendship her art has cultivated. She expresses gratitude for all women of color that join the journey and community. By creating a celebratory space for women, Haniff embodies what #caribbeangirlmagic is all about —community, representation and women’s empowerment.
Check out #coloredgirlsandcoloredwalls here. To learn more about the artist visit her social media page.
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