Felandus Thames Weaves Memories and Identity with Beaded Portraits of the Black Diaspora

2 hours ago7 min read

In his studio, artist Felandus Thames undertakes a meticulous practice of remembrance, assembling countless plastic hair beads into luminous, large-scale portraits. These are not mere images; they are vibrant, tactile archives that honor the narratives and identities of the Black diaspora.The beads, a material deeply rooted in cultural expression, become his medium for reconstructing faces and preserving histories often marginalized or erased. From afar, the compositions shimmer with a pixelated, digital quality, but a closer look reveals the profound humanity in each hand-placed bead.Thames’s process itself is a metaphor for community—individual fragments uniting to form a resilient and complex whole. His work sparks a powerful dialogue on legacy, exploring how culture is carried, reshaped, and celebrated. Through color, light, and painstaking labor, Thames ensures these visages are not only seen but deeply felt, transforming simple objects into vessels of profound significance and memory.

#featured

#Felandus Thames

#beaded portraits

#Black diaspora

#contemporary art

#sculpture

#mixed media

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