I cant Centre you here
I am struggling to find spaces that can hold our existence, our nuances, our bodies.
Where do we have to go and look to find a space for us?
How far back in history?
How far forward in the future?
Where in the present?
We deserve more
SEEUSINTOUS is a new film by Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley. The artist works predominantly in animation, sound, performance and video games to communicate the experiences of being a Black Trans person. Their practice focuses on recording the lives of Black Trans people, intertwining lived experience with fiction to imaginatively retell Trans stories. Spurred on by a desire to record the “History of Trans people both living and past,” their work can often be seen as a Trans archive where Black Trans people are stored for the future: “Throughout history, Black queer and Trans people have been erased from the archives. Because of this it is necessary not only to archive our existence, but also the many creative narratives we have used and continue to share our experiences.”
Danielle’s work has been shown in Science Gallery, Barbican, Tate, Les Urbains as well as being part of the BBZ Alternative Graduate Show at the Copeland Gallery. An online component of their work can often be found at daniellebrathwaiteshirley.com
Content Note: References to erasure of Black Trans people, transphobia, racism.
Image: SEEUSINTOUS, Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, 2020
Image description: A monitor marked UNWANTED GAZE CCTV shows a blurred crowd. Overlaid text reads THEY SAY YOUR LIFE MATTERS.