Q&A with Joni Gordon

Briefly describe your thesis project.
My thesis project compares my Black identity in my homeland, Jamaica, versus in the United States. My experiences transformed from privilege to peril due to racial discrimination. Through this work, I confront displacement, colorism, my ancestry, and racial identity. I question both the possibility and one’s attempt to heal from the psychological scars caused by racial discrimination.

The work was made using screen printing, paint, thread, wool, brown paper, various paint mediums, wood, and Masonite.  

What do you hope someone feels when they experience your work?
I aim for my work to be impactful. I hope for the audience to experience and feel the emotions I translated in the work.  

Did you always know this would be your final project?
No. I began my second year with the intention of addressing the history of Pruitt-Igoe for my thesis project. After working on that history, it began to feel inauthentic to me. I went into solitude and returned with clarity creating the artwork I have displayed in this exhibition.

Was there anyone early in life who had a big influence on your creativity?
My mother’s creative practice was a huge influence on my creativity. Every summer, I watched her tackle a summer art project. One year it was a series of embroidery works and another year it was some bedside mats. Art was her therapy, and it became mine. It was an escape from the constant pedagogy of her role as a primary school teacher, and it became my escape from the effects of trauma. 

If you could go back to your first day in this program, what would you tell yourself?
Breathe. Trust your intuition. You have the right to be here.