Narkita
2022 HEAR US Awardee
Art & Public Policy Class of 2022
Narkita is a visual artist who works in a variety of disciplines, including photography, installation art, performance, and social practice. She points to spiritual activism as a framework that guides her and hopes to create a body of work that speaks truth to power, dances between the political and the spiritual, and centers marginalized voices through time.
Project
Black in Denver
Narkita’s series, “Black in Denver” is a visual ethnography that challenges essentialist assumptions of Black identity by illustrating in photos and words the vast diversity of the Black Diaspora. Her work provides an ever-evolving extension of the Black experience and spotlights the diverse perspectives of individuals involved in the series.
The robust anthology offers poignant, poetic, and revealing accounts of Black life in Denver, ranging from the importance of community building to taking up space in an ever-changing city. As a whole, Black in Denver supports and demonstrates the notion that Blackness -- and identity in general -- is not a monolith. In a world where Black people are often seen as homogenous, she hopes to challenge stereotypes, raise awareness about the power of being one’s self, and inspire the practice of self-inquiry.
Her work connects the individual, the spiritual, with community, culture, and philosophical, social, and political questions to further explore opportunities of connecting society instead of tearing it apart. With the award, she will develop a coffee table book that will include series participants and their words.
Instagram: @blackindenver
