De-Emphasized
Eneya Joshua
De-Emphasized is a series of creative explorations documenting my experience as a Black woman navigating New York City and the predominantly white institution I attend. The project consists of two books: a flip book that translates movement over time and a book that focuses on my interests in hair braiding. I also created a visual album with three original tracks, including fashion, hair styling, and screen printing. The film consists of three scenes, all shot in one take. Scene one is a burlesque jazz dance sequence that serves as an homage to Josephine Baker. Scene two is a hip-hop dance choreography, and the final scene begins with dialogue from my father discussing the process of creativity—recorded in 2020 during the pandemic.
This project focuses on the isolation felt by Black artists and represents aspects of Black identity not often shown in the media. As the only Black student in the CD program graduating this year, I hope this project helps future Black students at Parsons feel seen and accepted and that graduating from this institution is possible.