Vibrant Beaded Portraits by Felandus Thames Honor Black Diaspora.

1 hour ago7 min read1 comments

In the quiet, focused space of his studio, Felandus Thames performs a kind of modern-day alchemy, transforming thousands of humble plastic hair beads into profound acts of remembrance. His medium, often associated with childhood and adornment, becomes under his hands a powerful vehicle for historical reclamation.Thames begins with archival photographs, seeking out Black and Indigenous figures whose visages and stories have been systematically marginalized from the dominant American narrative. He doesn't just replicate these images; he resurrects them through a meticulous, pixel-like process of placing each bead, color by color, until a face emerges from the vibrant tapestry.The choice of material is deeply intentional, connecting the personal and cultural ritual of hair braiding and beading within the Black diaspora to a larger project of honoring lineage. One of his subjects, Amos Haskins, a 19th-century Wampanoag man who became a whaling captain, is rendered not as a static historical footnote but as a living presence, his gaze steady and complex, challenging the viewer to consider the full, unvarnished scope of his life and era.Similarly, the dynamism of dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey is captured not through motion, but through the rhythmic, pulsating pattern of the beads, each one a testament to a cultural legacy that persists and flourishes. Speaking with artists like Thames, one is struck not merely by their technical skill, but by their profound sense of purpose—a need to create a dialogue with the past that informs our present.His work asks us fundamental questions about who we remember, how we choose to memorialize them, and what artifacts we elevate to the status of history. In an age of digital ephemerality, these tactile, labor-intensive portraits stand as enduring monuments.They are a quiet but insistent correction to the historical record, a gathering of souls brought back into the light through patience, color, and an unwavering commitment to ensuring that these memories are not just preserved, but felt. The beads, in their collective multitude, symbolize the interconnectedness of these stories, each one a vital part of a larger, more beautiful and truthful whole, reminding us that history is not a monologue but a chorus of countless voices, finally being heard.

#featured

#Felandus Thames

#beaded portraits

#Black diaspora

#Indigenous representation

#contemporary art

#memory

#Colossal

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