THE BLACK FAMILY HOME and celebrating them as an important part of our culture. While artwork that celebrates Black women comes in the form of busts that fill the sculpture garden in our living room, and studies of the Black female form in pottery and photography that inhabit our kitchen and library. The library holds some of our favorite female imagery, including the Trudon candle reproductions of the Carpeaux sculpture, Pourquoi naître esclave?, and a beautifully surrealistic self-portrait by photographer Fares Micue. Across from it hangs an amazing portrait of a Black onna-bugeisha — a female samurai — by Tim Okamura. Together the two represent a balance of hard and soft and function as the “guardians” of the space. Meanwhile, the kitchen is also home to a print of a Barkley L. Hendricks portrait of a fierce woman in a head wrap, and a photo of Jeanine’s cousin that first inspired the aesthetic behind <strong>AphroChic</strong>. Just as with the male images, these works invoke the memory of the women who matter most to us while celebrating the many sides of Black women. We balance the two because men and women have both worked, whether jointly or separately, to shape our culture, guard our community and nurture our generations. Too often in celebrating one we lose sight of the other, or in emphasizing a particular role that one has played, we forget other roles played with equal ability, overlook the roles that we play equally but differently, or mistakenly assign roles as responsibilities, unintentionally limiting the potential and perspective of our own experiences. The art narrative at the AphroFarmhouse, beginning with the balance of male and female and proceeding through separate venerations of each, culminates in the equal joining of the two in expressions of Black love. Many of our paintings depict couples, and many of our statues are arranged together in male and female “couples.” In the kitchen, two paintings of a couple by Brazilian art brand ThingDesign sits over the banquette in our breakfast nook. In the living room, another couple painted by Australian artist Mafalda Vasconcelos adorns the walls above the sofa. By the front door, paired masks, masculine and feminine, usher us out the door and welcome us home when we return. Similarly, small sculpted busts on the shelves in the library live together as a couple. Though all art is open to interpretation, we include these paintings and pairings to reflect what are for us the most ideal elements that make a relationship feel like home: affection, harmony, partnership, togetherness, mutual respect and shared comfort. This collection that has been built over 27 years together, five cities, and travel to five countries, is filled with pieces that make us feel at home, that tell our story, that speak to the things that matters most to us. Our curated collection is a form of self-expression and ultimately expresses the love we have for one another. Imagine what story an art collection can tell for you. Sources for Building A Black Art Collection The <strong>AphroChic</strong> Art Shop Earlier this year <strong>AphroChic</strong> began collaborating with emerging artists from across the African Diaspora. Currently, our art offerings include limited edition busts by Jessica Jean-Baptiste, stunning photographs by Fares Micue and a line of one-of-a-kind mirrors by Candice Luter. More artist collaborations will be coming in 2024. BetterShared: Contemporary African Art At BetterShared you can discover pieces from some of the world’s most exciting African artists. It’s where we discovered the work of artists like Neals Niat, Mamus Esiebo, and Lambi Chibambo. If you’re not sure where to start, you can take an art style quiz to find pieces that are the perfect fit for your home. Society6 Society6 is home to a cadre of independent artists from across the globe. We love perusing the site to find pieces by Black artists. You can order prints, choose frames, and get them shipped to your home quickly. They make starting a collection easy and accessible. AC "Sisters" by Mafalda Vasconcelos 24 aphrochic
issue fourteen 25