Hermafrodek (2015-2021) is an intricate wall installation that immerses viewers in a dynamic and multi-sensory experience, blending sculpture, video paintings, experimental sound, oral storytelling, and evocative imagery. The installation creates a pulsating visual and aural landscape that draws visitors into a trance-like state, awakening a profound awareness of their own otherness. This experience is reminiscent of the unsettling encounter with the mysterious Odradek in Franz Kafka's The Cares of a Householder, where the familiar and the strange converge to evoke deep introspection. Through this work, Hermafrodek challenges conventional perceptions, encouraging viewers to confront the complexities of identity, memory, and cultural resonance.

At the heart of the installation is a full-length painting titled Angry Angel/Yellow, depicting a monocular angel cloaked in yellow, its clenched fist symbolizing both defiance and resilience. Surrounding this central figure, a series of LED monitors display a variety of moving images that further enhance the immersive experience. These include a staged performance of female genital mutilation, video paintings that transport viewers to the Land of the Twins—a magical kingdom in Benin—, a pair of watchful eyes, animated
pronouncements from Celestina Simon, Haiti's black Joan of Arc, and a short film reenacting a conversation with my grandmother, a Vodou priestess from Benin, exploring the power of telekinesis.

Complementing these visual elements are several afroed hermaphrodite Vodou mobile sculptures, representing Beninese goddesses of fertility. Modeled in clay and suspended with reclaimed Afro hair within copper-lined wooden boxes, these sculptures introduce a tactile, three-dimensional aspect to the installation, reinforcing the themes of fertility, identity, and spirituality. The installation is completed with a series of framed afro-hair portraits and celluloid film strips embroidered with Afrofuturistic characters emblematic of resilience and defiance. Through these diverse media, Hermafrodek not only explores the intersections of tradition and modernity but also invites viewers to engage with the broader narrative of human experience, challenging them to rethink the boundaries between the past, present, and future.

Materials: clay, copper, oil, celluloid film, wood, human afro hair, human bodily fluids, antique bronze frames, linen, LED monitors, ash, handmade paper, and sequin fabric.