Felandus Thames Weaves Memory and Legacy with Dazzling Beaded Portraits

8 hours ago7 min read2 comments

Artist Felandus Thames is captivating the art world with his stunning beaded portraits, a profound series that serves as a luminous archive for the Black diaspora. Each piece is a meticulous, bead-by-bead act of remembrance, where thousands of common hair beads—an object deeply embedded in Black cultural practice—are transformed into a medium for legacy.This choice elevates the everyday into the monumental, creating portraits that shimmer with personal and collective history. The technical mastery required is immense, yet the true power lies in the storytelling.Thames’s work functions as a textured, visual narrative that honors individuals with a glamour that is both intimate and grand. The shimmering surfaces interact with light and perspective, mirroring the complex, multifaceted nature of identity itself.In an era often focused on the digital, Thames’s hands-on, tactile approach is a powerful celebration of materiality, craft, and community. These portraits resonate with the depth of iconic photography but possess a unique, tangible weight and a celebratory brilliance, ensuring the memories they hold are preserved with the dignity and radiance they deserve.

#featured

#Felandus Thames

#beaded portraits

#Black diaspora

#contemporary art

#sculpture

#memory

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