United in Grief
Brianna Hawley
Project Description
United in Grief seeks to explore and address the collective experience of grief within the Black community, which has been largely overlooked and underserved in mainstream conversations about grief and mourning. This project is an attempt to challenge the lack of culturally sensitive research and dialogue around Black grief and to shed light on the long-lasting effects of historical loss and trauma. This project delves into the fundamental questions surrounding Black grief and mourning, including the reasons why they are not openly discussed in the Black community, how to address grief compounded by centuries of racism and trauma, and how unprocessed grief affects daily life.
By centering the voices of Black individuals and creating an environment that validates their experiences, United in Grief hopes to promote healing and growth. This project features various mediums, including photography, music, and spoken word, that convey the complexities and range of emotions associated with the grieving process. It creates a space where individuals can process their grief in a supportive environment and celebrate the resilience of the human spirit. By acknowledging the experiences of Black individuals, the installation encourages conversations about grief and mourning that are inclusive and culturally sensitive, ultimately fosters healing and growth within the Black community.
What Form will your Final Project Take?
Solo Exhibition at All Street NYC
Who was supporting you in your work?
Anjali Khosla - Faculty. Anjali was my capstone professor and helped to workshop my project and edit the text elements of my project.
Project Themes:
Research, Creative
How has this project has been impactful or transformative?
Completing this project has been personally impactful because immediately, I was struck with a sense of community and validation by interviewing so many people about their experience with grief. I saw so many people feel seen and heard through this project for the first time. And this project inspired me to keep completing community engagement projects.
What would you do differently?
The only thing I would do differently about this project is to complete the schematic design planning earlier so there is a clear visual language, and everything is consistent. I would advise a student who will do something similar to divide their project into two phases, research, and making, and make sure you give equal time to both.
Short summary of your experience:
I had a great experience completing this project as it was the type of project I wanted to complete since starting college. I have the opportunity to combine my passions of community engagement journalism and multimedia design.
