Even during golden hour, the stunning panoramic Los Angeles views just couldn’t compete with the rich medley of melanin and style. We’d been invited to celebrate Black visual culture with the center’s African American Art History Institute (AAAHI) and—I’m so sorry to be that person, but—we clearly understood the assignment.

“A mystical black bird can fly to hidden dimensions,” the 30-year-old Brazilian artist said in a recent interview.

The exhibition, which closed on June 1, continues the visual conversations from his 2021 Studio Museum of Harlem residency, showcasing deeply tender portrayals of Black trans masculine identities in moments of grief, rest, contemplation, devotion, sexuality, and love.

You might have noticed by now that I opt for outfits likely to provoke particular presumptions along the lines of, “She looks super confident/high-maintenance/bougie,” “she’s doing the most,” and “Who does she think she is?”

The act of holding something for someone, particularly something large and not meant to be held, really underscores one of the ideas I’m trying to explore in the piece: having Black women and non-Black women alike help a Black woman by doing a share of her work or task.

The show embarks on a profound journey of excavating stories across the African diaspora, bringing to light revelations that illuminate our past while shaping our present and future. What a treat to reflect on each incredible piece, writing individual descriptions and tying them all together in an essay.

I’m in the early stages of developing “Feeling Myself: an exercise in unapologetic vanity and conceit,” a public performance piece that centers on Black girls and women being unapologetically proud of their appearance and achievements and having people who aren’t Black women assist us in these moments.