Reclaiming the Black Figure
Shadow girl, the adrenaline was high the room was hot by Z the Rat
This week, I’m catching up with Philadelphia-based multidisciplinary artist, Zeinab Diomande aka Z the Rat 🐀 her playful paintings challenge viewers to contemplate the Black figure 🖤 scroll down for more
Addy: Zeinab, thank you so much for joining me, what initially drew you to art?
Z: Thank you for having me! Art has always been my first form of therapy. I grew up in a pretty complicated home and still had somewhat of a normal childhood, but some days could get heavier than others, and this is how I picked up art.
Addy: You were born in Virginia and spent your childhood in Abidjan before moving back to the US, how has your background shaped you as an artist?
Z: My identity more so than my background is really what shaped my work. Being a Black woman, an African woman who is also American, can be interesting and complicated at times. Back home I’m not Ivorian enough, yet here I’m not American enough. It’s really this idea of an ever-moving and changing identity that shapes my work.
Spicy cayenne hot cheetos by Z the Rat
Addy: Totally, almost like a search for belonging. You’ve described your work as love letters to your child-self, what do you hope to say to her?
Z: I hope to let her know, as well as my inner teen, that it does get better. I hope to give her the loving warnings that nobody gave her, I hope to show her that there’s light at the end of the tunnel and that it’s only going up from here.
Addy: I love that <3 your playful compositions explore mental health and your experience as a Black woman, describe your creative process.
Self soothing by Z the Rat
Z: My creative process involves a lot of music, a lot of research, and exploration. I treat my surfaces as sketchbooks, it gives me room to test and see what works and what doesn’t work right away, instead of making prior tests. I have a very intuitive process so this explains that.
Addy: Amazing. You’ve shifted away from small-scale paintings, how has your practice evolved over time?
Z: My practice has become about taking up space, but also about thinking of the ways in which my work is perceived when the audience and space are different. Is it a form of exhibitionism or is it a safe space? I really take this into account depending on the crowd I show my work to.
Addy: What does it mean to take up space?
Z: To take up space means that I don’t have to try in order for you to acknowledge that I am here. I don’t want it to be forced, it’s my birth right to be here and I will stay.
Stargazing by Z the Rat
Addy: Yes, taking up space is an act of self-love! What do you find the most challenging about creating art?
Reverie by Z the Rat
Z: Finishing a piece for sure. I always get so excited about creating, then I get close to the end and it gets cold and lonely, hence why I always feel the need to create.
Addy: Where do you find inspiration?
Z: I source my inspiration from music, people, television, comic books and life.
Addy: And how important are the titles of your works?
Z: I always think of my titles before starting my pieces. Titles always come first. Each piece I have ever made came from something I wrote prior.
Addy: I had no idea that you worked in that order! Do you have a favourite piece of work that you’ve created?
Z: I do have a favourite piece and it is called The corner of the room was cold and blue. If you know, you know.
Addy: Obsessed. Okay, so at the end of interviews, I like to do something called a rapid fire round 🔥🔥 here we go! Romanticism or Cubism?
Z: Cubism!
Addy: Classical or Contemporary?
Z: Contemporary.
Addy: Artist or muse?
Z: Artist.
Addy: Geometric or gestural abstraction?
Z: Gestural abstraction.
Addy: Morning or evening?
Z: Evening.
Addy: Beach or mountains?
Z: Beach.
Addy: Sweet or salty?
Z: Sweet.
Addy: Quality or quantity?
Z: Quality.
Addy: Favourite tv show?
Z: Abbott Elementary. (we stan)
Addy: Last song you listened to?
Z: death drive freestyle by Dean Blunt
Addy: Love it, thank you so much Z!
For more from the amazing Z the Rat, check out her Instagram here!