Text-in-progress:D.DenengeDuyst-AkpemTheOsanyinCommemorativePortraitProjectandCamoCoatCollectionTheOsanyinCommemorativePortraitProjectandCamoCoatCollectionisatwo-partprojectthattakesitscuefromYorubaorisaOsanyin,godofhealingandleavesoftendepictedinhalftree-halfhumanform.Theorisa’sconnectiontoleprosyisalsoresonantgivenmymother’sworkfor30yearswithleprosyandpoliopatientsinruralNigeria,bringingpossibilitywheretherewas,formany,verylimitedhope.ThismultifacetedprojectconsidersusesofcamouflageandprotectionineverydaylifeandwithinformalizedritualpracticeintheurbanlandscapefromanAfro-Futuristperspectiveinthe(post-)apocalypse.ThefirststageoftheprojectbeganattheNEHInstituteforBlackAestheticsandSacredSystemshostedatEmoryUniversityinAtlanta,GA,in2014.TheCommemorativePortraitProjectconsistsofaseriesofportraitsofNEHFellowstakenonEmoryUniversitycampus,commemoratingthehistoricinstituteanddocumentingcollaborativerepresentationandsiteasarchive.Theseportraitswerethefirststageofinvestigation,andfromthis,Ibegantodevelopleafdrawingswhichwerelatertransformedintoprintedtextileandnow,acapsulecollectionthatspecificallyfocusesonconceptual,spiritual,andphysicalprotectioninartanddesignasamethodologyofliberation.Alsohighlightedinmyperformance,installation,costume,andgarmentdesignisa’nger(pronounced“ahngair”),Tiv-Nigeriantraditionalstripedloom-woventextilewhichisgivenasagiftatsignificantmoments,andrepresentsbeingclothedintheessenceofTiv.ThisstripeisutilizedinexhibitionsofWanChukuandtheMysticalYamFarm.*Avisualconnectionisalsomadeherewiththeblack-and-whitestripeofmilitarydazzlecamouflageasprotectionforshipsatsea.ThedefensereferenceconnectstothebroadsideprintedformatutilizedduringthefireywordforceoftheBlackArtsMovementthatencouragedBlackpeople’sself-determination,self-respect,andself-defense,withthebroadsidenotonlyreferencingaprintedandeasilydisseminatedpoeticstatementormanifestobutalsodefinedasthesideofashipfromwhichtheweaponsaredischarged,speakingtothepowerofB.A.M.poetics.TheCamoCoatCollectionwasconceivedoverthelasttwoyearsasatimely,site-specific,textile-andgarment-basedresponsetothecurrentpoliticalandsocialclimate,influencedbyChicago’sAFRICOBRAco-founderJaeJarrellandhericonicRevolutionarySuit**,readyforboardroomandforrevolution,andbyherJaeofHydeParkone-of-a-kindshopestablishedinthe1950sandinsistenceonradicaljoyandAfricanarthistoricalreferencesforherN’Vestseries.WithChicago-specificprints,TheCamoCoatCollectionconsiderswhatitmeanstosurviveandthriveintheurbanlandscape,inspiredbyarchitectandvisionaryAmandaWilliams’term“thrival.”IteachandwriteabouttheintersectionsofAfro-Futurismandecologywithanemphasisonhealingmodalitiestoofferspaceofagencyforsharingresources,histories,andpossibilitiesforfuturevisioning.Indailylifeandforpresentations,Iamknownforwearingvariousstylesofcamouflage,includinggarmentsoffloralandleafdesign.Itisasignaturebutmorethanthat,providesaformof“patternprotection”thatisprimarilyenergeticsinceIdon’tactuallyblendinwiththeindustriallandscapenorwoulditstopabulletasItravelviabike.Thereissomethingaboutitthatmakesmefeelprotected,andthere’samarkeddifferenceinhowIamtreatedasaBlackwomanintheU.S.whenI’mrockingthefullOriginalCamoCoatwithitswrappedflowingstyle.Doorsareopened,micro-aggressionscease,andpeoplestepaside,offeringcomplimentseveryfewfeet.Thegarmentanditsactivationthroughmywearingseemstohaveapowerbeyondjustacoat.TheconceptisbeingexpandedtoincludecamouflagetextilecreatedfromimagesofactualsurfacesencounteredinChicagoday-to-daylife,andnaturalbulletproofmaterialssuchasspidersilk.Bulletprooffabric,includingadvancesinthosewithall-naturalorigins,isacontestedmaterialwithtensionbetweenwhoisallowedto

wearit,legislationattemptedagainstitbythepoliceforcesupposedlytostopcriminalelementsgainingaccesstouseit,butitisalsoatoolofprotectionthatcanbemorewidelyutilizedonbehalfofindividualswithinthepublicrealm.AnadditionalinfluenceistheinclusionofScottishtartaninconnectiontoa’ngerasaculturally-specifictextile.Historically,whentartanwasmadeoforganicvegetabledyes,aclothcouldbe“read”bythoseexperiencedtorecognizetheintricateplantsandsitesrepresentedinthepattern,whetherlighterasclosertothemistyseaordarkergreensindicatingorganicsourcesdeeperintheforest.Thisconnectiontoreading,theword,the“speaking”ofatextilealsoreflectsYorubaaestheticsofashé,“catalyticlifeforce”asdiscussedbyAfricanarthistorianRowlandAbiodun,withfoundationsinthepowerofarttolistenandtospeak.TheCamoCoatCollectionrisesfromtheexistingenvironmentandrespondswithanarrayofpossibilities,offeringprotectiononmultiplelevelsandcelebratingtheroleofartanddesignintheAfricanDiaspora.TheCamoCoatCollectionlaunchesonthemysticalportalof02.02.2020alongwithmyfirstmonographonAfro-Futurismandperformancewithconstructionofmulti-purposeconceptualcapsulecollectioninarangeofsizestobemodeledanddisplayedinexhibitionandsharedwithinthebooktextincluding“Visible/Invisible:ProtectionintheUrbanLandscape.”Thisprojectmayincludedevelopmentofexpanded,satelliteprogrammingwithopportunitiesforotherparticipantsindifferentcitiestobecomepartoftheportraitseries,andadditionally,Iwillbedonatingtolocalveterans’initiativesonChicago’ssouthside.Continuingwiththenumber“8”asafocusinmyworkandnumerologicalactivatorforluckandinfinity,aselectionofeightportraitswillbefeaturedaspartofthefirstpublicpresentationofthisseriesinaninstallationwithTheCamoCoatCollectionatColumbiaCollegeChicagoDepartmentofFashionWindowsat618S.MichiganandIdaB.WellsfromFebruary11-March1,2020includingvideo,garments,andsculpturalobjectsfromtheFebruary2,2020bookandcollectionlaunch.

*WorksinWanChukuserieswereshownat:-WanChukuandtheMysticalYamFarm,curatedbyMoyoOkediji,PhDforWÁKÀTÍ:TimeShapesAfricanArt,OklahomaStateUniversityMuseumofArt(OSUMA),Stillwater,OK,2015;-WashingtonProjectfortheArts2017AuctionGala,co-curatedbyJeffersonPinder,annualexhibition,Washington,DC-PeggyCooperCafritzCollection,Washington,DC,featuredin:FiredUp!ReadytoGo!:FindingBeauty,DemandingEquity:AnAfricanAmericanLifeinArt.TheCollectionsofPeggyCooperCafritz.NewYork:RizzoliElecta,2018.Fullcolor.Print.Voted#1byCultureTypeof18BestBlackArtBooksof2018.-CorpusMeum,site-specificsoundinstallationfor“PlatformsSeries:ArchitectureandSoundPanel”,curatedbyJennaLyle,TheArtsClubofChicago,2018-NewAge,NewAge:StrategiesforSurvival,groupexhibitioncuratedbyJulieRodriguesWidholmfeaturingWanChuku’sMysticalYamMounds,DePaulArtMuseum,Chicago,2019**Overthepastyear(2018-19),IhaveworkedwithJaeJarrellinherClevelandstudioon“regenerated”worksfor:-DahomeyEnsemble,2018,afterthe1973original,StudioassistancetoAFRICOBRAco-founderJaeJarrellforTheTimeIsNow!:ArtWorldsofChicago’sSouthSide,1960-1980,exhibitioncuratedbyRebeccaZorach,SmartMuseum,UniversityofChicago-OrnamentsofReflection,2019,StudioassistancetoAFRICOBRAco-founderJaeJarrellongarmentbasedonAdorntoReflect,inauguralTorontoBiennialofArt,Toronto,ON-"N'Vest-inginthePeople:TheArtofJaeJarrell"catalogueessayviaKaviGuptaGalleryforAFRICOBRA:NationTime,58thVeniceBiennale,May11-November24,2019,Venice,Italy.-In2020,Iwillbecontributingtothefirstmonographofherwork,producedbyKaviGuptaGallery’spublicationsimprint.

CommemorativePortraitSeriesbyDenengeDuyst-Akpem,SelectedimagesfromNEHInstituteFellows,EmoryUniversity,Atlanta,2014

LeafDesign,D.DenengeDuyst-Akpem,NEHInstitute,EmoryUniversity,Atlanta,2014

TheCamoCoatCollection,PhotoshootwiththeOriginalCamoCoatforChicagoTribunearticleonOctaviaButlerexhibition,2018.PhotobyHilaryHiggins/ChicagoTribune.