Colonial Spirits addresses the hyper-sexualization of Black womanhood and misogyny through the lens of pageantry as a vessel for exploration. During the 1800s, during slavery, "human zoos" were common. These zoos were public displays of people in their "natural" or "primitive" states, meant ot emphasize the supposed inferiority of the exhibited people and present them as "savage." One of the most prominent individuals documented in these exhibitions was Sarah Baartman (Hottentot Venus), an enslaved woman known for her curvaceous body (top left). Due to her genetic differences from European spectators, she was subjected to exploitation. She was caged, poked, prodded at, and made a spectacle. More recently, we see these body standards praised in multiple communities, with the rise of plastic surgery and mentions of Baartman's body type in music.

Reflecting on this history led me to explore pageantry as a modern "human zoo". While women in pageants are not subjected to chains or cages. Parallels can be drawn from the impacts of misogyny, racism, and imposed Eurocentric beauty standards, as black women did not hold space in these contests until the late 20th century. I aim to navigate these ideals through my work using pageantry as an overarching theme. Drawing inspiration from drag culture, costuming, and artists Deana Lawson, Nadia Lee Cohen, Renee Cox, Lorna Simpson, Carrie Mae Weems, Kara Walker,  Nikki S. Lee, and more, I channeled this breadth of knowledge and research into creating a character for thematic exploration.

The character I have embodied, Ms. Amerikkka, is a pseudonym to explore the Black American position. Ms. Amerikkka is a Black woman dressed in an American flag bikini with a pale, white D-cup breastplate. She has voluminous, Dolly Parton-esque blonde hair and wears bold blue eyeshadow, red lipstick, thin blonde eyebrows, a sash, and a tiara. Through the projects  Pennsylvania Avenue, Since Why is Difficult to Handle, One Must Seek Refuge in How, Amerikkkan Girls, and Eye For an Eye, she symbolizes the appropriation of the Black body/space and seeks repossession. She highlights the white gaze and its impact on the perception of Black Women in both media and everyday life.

Ms. Amerikkka seeks reclamation over the Black body and space. She not only mocks Eurocentric beauty standards but invites us into spaces where black bodies have been exploited, mistreated, ostracized, and alienated.