DARIUS BABER
My Mama's Side
THEME: WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS
On My Mama's Side
THEME: we hold these truths
Darius
Baber
the artist's inspiration
I’m fascinated by flags and what they represent. They represent pride and belong – what you stand for and to bring people together under certain values. They are a tool of storytelling, mythmaking and propaganda. It is a representation of identity and how you understand who you are.
My Mama’s Side is a critical reflection on how the founding of the United Sates has complex legacies for citizens today, in terms of identity, power and privilege.
You will of course recognize the star-spangled banner. Since the founding of the United States, the flag has been a powerful national symbol of the values that the United States proclaims it stands for. And yet, I have a complex relationship with it – given that I am American only because my ancestors were capture, enslaved and brought to this land against their will.
That’s why you see the flag as inverted. I haven’t yet resolved my relationship with it and what it means to be an American.
CAPITOL PARK, detroit
june 2024
You also see the flag of the Bubi Tribe. Through some research, I discovered my African ancestry, particularly my genetic link to the resilient Bubi people of Bioko Island on my mother’s side. A people with a rich culture, they were deeply affected by colonisation as much of the population was decimated by war, disease and enslavement. Once numbering 3 million, the Bubi currently number around 100,000 worldwide.
To me, the flag represents their resourcefulness and resilience. It is a celebration of my ancestry.
I have combined the flags into a personal Kente Cloth design. Common across West Africa, Kente is a fabric that speaks to identity, Afrocentric unity and traditions and values. Its combination reflects my ongoing, complex journey to make sense of what it means to be an American, given the context of its founding and why I am an American.
It is in hope that in this country we’ve got, we choose to make a country that is better – in which everyone’s influences and heritages are honored and celebrated.
the artist's inspiration
I’m fascinated by flags and what they represent. They represent pride and belong – what you stand for and to bring people together under certain values. They are a tool of storytelling, mythmaking and propaganda. It is a representation of identity and how you understand who you are.
My Mama’s Side is a critical reflection on how the founding of the United Sates has complex legacies for citizens today, in terms of identity, power and privilege.
You will of course recognize the star-spangled banner. Since the founding of the United States, the flag has been a powerful national symbol of the values that the United States proclaims it stands for. And yet, I have a complex relationship with it – given that I am American only because my ancestors were capture, enslaved and brought to this land against their will.
DARIUS BABER
Detroit local Darius is an artist who thrives on capturing the essence of life’s intricacies through his creations. Darius’s journey into art began in school, inspired both by creative competition with a friend and his high school art teacher. It sparked a curiosity to discover, to challenge himself and explore new mediums and ways of artistic storytelling, which can be seen in Darius’ commitment to capturing the essence of his subjects, be they people or places. His artwork can be seen across Detroit, including a series of portraits of Detroit music icons that were installed in Chene Park in 2023.
Let's make our shared ideals a reality. For everyone.
That’s why you see the flag as inverted. I haven’t yet resolved my relationship with it and what it means to be an American.
You also see the flag of the Bubi Tribe. Through some research, I discovered my African ancestry, particularly my genetic link to the resilient Bubi people of Bioko Island on my mother’s side. A people with a rich culture, they were deeply affected by colonisation as much of the population was decimated by war, disease and enslavement. Once numbering 3 million, the Bubi currently number around 100,000 worldwide.
To me, the flag represents their resourcefulness and resilience. It is a celebration of my ancestry.
I have combined the flags into a personal Kente Cloth design. Common across West Africa, Kente is a fabric that speaks to identity, Afrocentric unity and traditions and values. Its combination reflects my ongoing, complex journey to make sense of what it means to be an American, given the context of its founding and why I am an American.
It is in hope that in this country we’ve got, we choose to make a country that is better – in which everyone’s influences and heritages are honored and celebrated.
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