A Story Of Hope & Self Discovery: Meet Artist Nacheal Catnott
Nacheal Catnott expresses Blackness in its highest form of purity and positivity in a bid to dismantle the microaggressions aimed at Black women. She does so through the removal of negative ideologies and choosing to highlight only strength and resilience. In a society where we are constantly treated and made to feel less than, her work is an indication of our humble ability to rise above and continue in our stride. Black joy will forever rise and shine through the struggles.
Though born in South London, Nacheal’s heritage lies in the Caribbean across both Jamaica and French-speaking Dominica. Her grandparents were part of the Windrush generation, and much of her work is inspired by their journeys and attempting to investigate her family’s histories and connections to the wider African Diaspora. Her heritage is a direct inspiration for her work, and she uses it as a tool to draw questions, develop understanding, and entice conversation. “I think that when you come from a displaced people, searching for understanding is a common stance and, for me, I choose to channel this into my art practice.”
““Rested upon the grains of the sand and basking in the light from above closely guarded by her.””
Her latest piece, Daughters of Hannah, provides a metaphorical embodiment of Hannah in the Old Testament of the Bible. A barren second wife who longed for a child prayed to God and was granted the miracle of a son, Samuel. Daughters of Hannah is a response to Hannah’s essence prior to the birth of her son. However, Nacheal is concerned with the prospects of Hannah longing for a daughter. In doing so, she takes away from the idealised convention of a male offspring at that time. The Yam in her work becomes a personification of Hannah’s unborn female offspring, and Nacheal views herself as both the subject and performer in the bid to envision Hannah’s nature. The piece refers to Nacheal’s spiritual connections and restored relationship with Christianity, as well as being a refinement of processes that are rooted in the raw natures of Black culture, tradition, and ritualism from her perspective.
Dressed in white, she reflects light and purity as she alludes to the attire worn in Rastafarianism, Christian priesthood & Islam. This is along with the continued use of a head covering to draw away from the stereotypical notions of the meaning behind women covering their hair. The head covering creates a unified position as they are universally worn across religions and cultures. Often as protection and symbols of power.
The debut of Daughters of Hannah was at the Open Hand Open Space Gallery
““Our bodies now reclaimed from the chains and motion sickness, which took place aboard the ships where the blues echoed from below the deck. Tired. The coastal western waters now inhabit us though they refuse to acknowledge the drowning men.””
In Reading in the Beyond Otherness exhibition, a ten-day show with workshops and performances showcasing the work of a diverse group of emerging artists based in Reading, London and Wolverhampton. Informed by their various experiences as African, Black, POC, Muslim, Trans and Queer artists, the participants have curated and presented work that pushes beyond ‘otherness’ and its externally-imposed expectations. The work Nacheal presented in the gallery space was made up of sculptural installations, photography and poetry. A Yam print and modelling workshop closely followed, and it concluded with a performative walk from Reading Abbey towards Reading Minster where Nacheal held a Yam sculpture unveiling ceremony in the churchyard. During the ceremony she began to dance, “here I am truly dancing in the light to the beat of my own drum, not worried about what others may think, trusting in my own mind and body.” The free flow of her movements evoked a sense of release and the genesis of something new. A movement towards something greater than before, encouraging Black women too to celebrate their existence on this Earth. To experience this liberty. The public elements of the work commands attention and hopes to bring people together in her attempt to celebrate otherness.
Working with multimedia is constant throughout Nacheal’s practice. She is not reliant on one main genre but is keen to develop and be flexible with her ideas to continue scoping out new ways to refine her practice. “The piece was initially meant to have a film component that is currently in development. The majority of my work is anchored with film as the main element, so it’s been interesting for me to strip the piece down to the foundations and present them as separate entities, so only as sculptures, photography, poetry and performance. However, together they still curate one piece as a whole. I see the work developing as a longer and continuous body of work with multiple layers and avenues of ideas.
Nacheal was inspired by the work of Ingrid Pollard and John Akomfrah, who both look at placing Black bodies in rural Western landscapes. She uses Akomfrah’s editing style as a practical reference when it comes to the digital elements and the potential future film piece, while the combination of the use of the Yam with natural elements in a gallery setting refers to Rashid Johnson’s installations. Finally, the digital and natural elements are married by conversations surrounding spirituality, prayer and meditation shown in the more poetic elements of her work.
When asked about her current occupation and plans for the future, Nacheal reflects, “I am an artist first and foremost because creativity is at the centre of all that I do and is how my dyslexic mind functions at best. This does not limit me when creating artwork, working across multiple fields in the creative sector, teaching, or curating. My main experiences have come from filmmaking and working primarily in broadcasting television as a researcher and assistant producer. I am currently in a state of limbo where I am questioning my status in the television and film industry as I am concerned with how it is ethically a safe place for people of colour. So, for now I am trusting in the Yam and my art practice and trying to invest real time and energy into developing new ideas that will enhance my abilities as an artist.”
““This skin that cocoons me becomes nourished through the exhale of clarity upon the paths my ancestors walked.””
Nacheal grants full autonomy to the viewer to allow for them to take from the work what they see. She hopes that this will result in deeper thought and that the honesty of her notions shine through in some way that rings true to them as an audience.
The full Beyond Otherness exhibition can be viewed virtually at https://www.beyond-otherness.art/
Nacheal’s Yam sculptures are now available to view publicly in Reading Minsters Church yard until August 15th. More info can be found on her Instagram @nachealcatnott. See portfolio of Nacheal’s work here.
Credits
Words & Interview by Joke Amusan
Photography by Derrick Kakembo
Assistant Producer: Chloe Malone
Production Assistant: Kayne Rocketeer
Costume and Stylist: Omogbolahan Kolapo
Hair by: Jacquie Otagburuagu
Commissioned by: OpenHand OpenSpace, Reading in conjunction with The Art Council England
Facilitation by Peter Driver
