Opening Reception for Afatasi The Artist

In BLACK SPACE, Afatasi The Artist hones her fine art skills and her love of Afrofuturism to dispel the progressive myth of her hometown of San Francisco while honoring and highlighting spaces historically held by Black people within the city. It is beautifully photographed in San Francisco's historic Fillmore and Bayview-Hunters Point districts by filmmaker, cinematographer, and photographer extraordinaire Jean Melesaine.

"SPACE" in this work has dual meaning. It centers on two black women Afronauts wearing SPACE-suits created by Afatasi. Conical shapes reoccur within both suits and are inspired by NASA rockets and jet propulsion engineering, while Sāmoan motif cutouts on the helmets are a nod to Afatasi's Polynesian heritage. Equipped with special effects lighting, the helmets speak to the bright lives of Black residents forced to live in the shadows. The piece captures spaces dedicated to Black historical figures and events, and speaks to how BLACK SPACE in San Francisco has been minimized, taken, and forgotten.