Vibrant photographs depicting bold, unapologetic faces line the wall of the EMU Aperture Gallery. The University of Oregon students captured in these images, primarily racially diverse students, wear stylish clothing and accessories that strike passing viewers. No two pictures are the same.
Though this exhibition emphasizes the beauty of diversity within the campus community, the subjects’ apparel carries a significance far beyond personal style.
The UO student-produced exhibit, which ran from March 25 to May 20, illustrated racially diverse students’ struggles with stereotyping, misidentification and sense of self.
Kayla Lockwood is a UO senior studying Art and Technology. She worked in partnership with second-year graduate student Malik Lovette to produce the exhibition. She said the inspiration for the showing stemmed from Cephas Williams’ “56 Black Men” campaign, which touched on the theme of racial profiling by presenting the cliched image of black men in hoodies.
Originally hosted by the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art in July of 2021, in the thick of COVID-19, Lockwood and Lovette learned to find new ways to enhance their project’s theme. The exhibition centered around a series of community conversation workshops focusing on identity and misrepresentation, Lockwood said.
“The exhibition documents multiple community conversations with UO students and their experiences surrounding stereotyping,” she said. “We represented each participant’s authentic view of their identity with the critical and reflective dispositions that accompany their personal development.”
The incorporation of clothes and accessories that were handmade or held familial value was a central element in the exhibition. Students selected items to showcase how family or avocation plays a critical role in shaping their characters.
“The inspiration for the project was to offer an internal versus external perspective on issues that are related to implicit bias,” Lovette said. “In other words, utilizing personal aesthetics such as attire, jewelry, shoes or other apparel to express oneself. More importantly, what is the intent, meaning, or purpose behind these items that create your personal aesthetic?”
Kundai Kapurura, a third-year product design major and one of the featured students, said she chose her apparel out of a desire to share a glimpse into her persona with others.
“At the time, I was really into doing unique hair colors and my hair was blue,” she said. “I wore a sweatshirt and jeans that I customized because it was what I felt was the most authentic version of me.”
Lovette said he reveled in the project’s entire process because of the ways he and Lockwood overcame barriers from the pandemic.
“Kayla and I accepted curating this project at the height of COVID-19, so being able to improvise with a set of extreme parameters surrounding us showed our true passion and integrity for creativity,” he said. “Along with being able to share these sorts of moments during a time of crisis, it reassures one to stay optimistic about our futures.”
Kapurura said the exhibition represents more than just a collection of experiences. It empowers students to fearlessly express themselves through clothing and embrace the unique qualities that define them as individuals, she said.
“I ultimately want viewers to understand that being yourself is something very valuable,” she said. “It’s really easy to get caught up in the judgments, thoughts and opinions of others, but you must free yourself from those things to get closer to being the most authentic version of yourself. We are all one of one, and we should all be confident knowing that.”
The exhibition is focused on documenting the ways that students express themselves through their clothing and accessories. 'I Am More Than Who You See' is an art piece executed by Kayla Kemplin Lockwood and Malik Aaron Lovette and is located on the second floor of the EMU. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)
