Saltwater Chronicles (20) (2018-)

A black female dancer in a hoodie is seen coming out of the water with 19 more hoodies attached to her. These 20 hoodies represent the "20 and odd negroes" that were taken from Africa aboard the slave ship, The White Lion, in 1619 and brought to the shores of Point Comfort, VA, present day Hampton, Virginia, my hometown. The "soundtrack" was created from the Library of Congress' Voices of Slavery archive of the voices of formerly enslaved people from Virginia.

Work in Progress. HD Film.
Director/Cinematographer/Editor/Sound Mixer: Kemi Layeni
Dancer: Morgan Burns
Production Assistants: Monsurat Layeni, Emily Mitchell

The Event (2016-)

A surrealist interpretation of Middle Passage incorporating West African and Angolan languages and a mixture of other sounds. 

Sound/Light Installation