Nikki Kilburn: Our Voices
Nikki Kilburn has created a collection of “five empowered portraits of women of colour with a lived experience of racialised trauma” accompanied by an audio narrative.
Photographer and writer Nikki Kilburn is interested in exploring “how identity and lived experience creates complex realities”.
For My Normality, Nikki has created a collection of “five empowered portraits of women of colour with a lived experience of racialised trauma” accompanied by an audio narrative of their voices telling their stories, in order to show “how the lived experience of racialised trauma creates othering and stigma”.
Nikki Kilburn said:
“Our Voices expresses the strength and connection between us as women of colour, the sorrow and joy of experience. We share our lived experience to erase the racism in the behavioural language code of race co-opted by the system of white supremacy. A disarmament; to annihilate the construct of racism.
When we express ourselves through equity and authenticity experience transcends oppressive occupation, subverting constructs and meaning into new forms. We experience transformation. The pain of oppression is reborn, raising awareness and bringing about change. Each code shift towards liberation contributes to the community of consciousness committed to justice and equality. Our healing. Our Power.
“Thank you Shondra, Cynthia, Rubistania and Julia for creating these portraits with me and sharing your stories. Thanks to allies Steve Reid for the use of his photography studio and Chris Greive for the music production.”
Audio Contributions: Shondra Riley, Rubistania Ferrier, Julia Sutton and Cynthia Gentle shared their lived experience. Poetry, lyrics, arrangement production by Nikki Kilburn. Julia Sutton and Cynthia Gentle on vocals.
Our Voices
It was really important for me to remain true to the identity and style of each woman in their portrait and spoken word narrative. We worked together to co-create how we would capture their visual representation and narrative.
Nikki Kilburn
Each portrait was carefully created based on how each woman wanted to tell their story and my self-portrait transforms the dehumanising racism of white supremacy into an act of power. Whilst weaving the spoken narratives together I was mindful to stay true to each woman’s individuality and elevate shared lived experience.
The music, lyrics and my spoken word poem throughout the audio piece created a context for the stories to be knitted within. This process has been a beautiful, enriching healing experience for us all.
My Normality
This project is part of My Normality, a series of eight creative projects commissioned for SMHAF 2021.
Artists have responded to the festival theme of ‘Normality?’, through drawings, audio, spoken word, film, photography and music.