POP-UP EXHIBITION
July 3, 2025 - July 21, 2025 The Current: ECCHO  | Nassau, Bahamas
 

Boys Go To Jupiter is a continuation of my exploration into Black childhood, play, and memory; an extension of the themes I began with my solo exhibition GOD SAY SHARE! which centered on nostalgia through muscle memory and snacks. Drawing its title from the familiar playground taunt, “Boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider,” this series captures a moment of contention rooted in schoolyard dynamics, teasing, and the subtle gendered messaging we absorb from an early age.
 

In this body of work, I use dolls dressed in school uniforms to represent a collective childhood experience. It is one marked by rigid expectations and quiet acts of resistance. The blank backgrounds infer a playground of sorts, a space of both freedom and friction, where identities begin to intersect and social hierarchies take root. Central to the series is the ring pop, a playful, sugary treat from many childhoods. But beyond its bright colors and familiar form, it becomes a symbol of the early conditioning many girls experience; the notion that marriage is the ultimate goal. Meanwhile, boys are permitted to dream expansively, to reach toward and beyond the stars.
 

Through this series, I aim to unravel how these early narratives shape our understanding of gender, aspiration, and value. Boys Go To Jupiter reclaims the innocence of the snack, the playground, and the uniform, while questioning the messages tucked within them.