Refusal is often viewed in the negative. We can think of so many examples of being refused and feeling disappointed or hurt. In trying to flip this adverse idea of refusal, I have begun seeing refusal as a space of love, the care in refusing something that is not right for you, and the example you set for others when you clearly and caringly state that you need something else. […]
There are many ways of thinking about “the gaze” when it comes to visual representations of women, and Black women in particular. Throughout my artistic practice in figurative drawing, my approach to the gaze has shifted in response to my personal experiences, research, and conversations with other women, artists, writers, and health-care practitioners. In this essay, I unpack these shifts, explore the contexts in which I have been creating, and revisit a few of my favourite drawings. […]
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