Photo Gallery
"Confronting the Ghost of Willie Lynch: An Exorcism in 6 Parts" Directed by Lisa Evans (2019)
TLMVJ was the costume designer for this production and collaborated with Director Lisa Evans to create headdresses that embodied the suffocating energy of white supremacy, pictured here. Also note custom painted body suits of the characters.
image description:Two white passing mixed race people are dressed as demons of white supremacy and are tethered together by a thin white rope. They are dressed in black tights and leotards that are covered by and ombre of white hand prints that travel up their bodies. They wear large headdresses that look like cotton bolls, and hold the thin white rope in heir hands in a sort of motion that would indicate offering it to the audience. The figures are in spotlight, all around them is black/dark.
"Confronting the Ghost of Willie Lynch: An Exorcism in 6 Parts" Directed by Lisa Evans (2019)
TLMVJ was the costume designer for this production and collaborated with Director Lisa Evans to create headdresses that embodied the suffocating energy of white supremacy, pictured here. Burlap, copper wire, cotton bolls, mask
Image Description: Lisa Evans, a dark skinned Black nonbinary femme person wears one of the headdresses that represents being possessed by the demon of white supremacy. In this closer view you can see that the headdress is composed of white painted burlap, cotton bolls and eery fabric masks which suggest faces/ spirits trapped within the cloud of fabric.
"Confronting the Ghost of Willie Lynch: An Exorcism in 6 Parts" Directed by Lisa Evans (2019)
Close up detail of custom masks placed within headdresses.
TLMVJ was the costume designer for this production and collaborated with Director Lisa Evans to create headdresses that embodied the suffocating energy of white supremacy, pictured here. Burlap, copper wire, cotton bolls, masks.
Image description: A close up of one of the masks/faces that went into the making of the white supremacy headdresses. lace has been modeled into the shape of a face, the shadows have been intensified so as to offer up a spooky vibe.
The Queen of Cups (2021)
Collaboration with Shani Ealey (she/they) visual artist, writer and Spirit chaser living in Oakland, CA.
Over the course of 3 months Shani Ealey and TLMVJ created this mixed media visual art piece that reinterprets tarot's Queen of Cups energy through a Queer and Black lens. Acrylic paint, nail varnish, sea glass, costume jewelry, hand-painted silk, viscose, tulle.
Image Description: a Black anime style femme figure is seated on a white and gold throne in the middle of a blue ocean. Their deep brown skin is covered in even darker brown hieroglyphs and symbols. They hold a small white bowl of water. Their legs are crossed and their skirts, actual pieces of custom dyed fabric on oranges, and teals, flows across their lap and over their throne. 3D Textile flowers in shades of saffron and coral float around them. They wear a 3D crown made of sea glass, costume jewelry bits and rhinestones. They wear deep blue lipstick and their eyes seem hollow as they are shaded the same blue as the ocean around them.
The Queen of Cups (2021)
Collaboration with Shani Ealey (she/they) visual artist, writer and Spirit chaser living in Oakland, CA.
Over the course of 3 months Shani Ealey and TLMVJ created this mixed media visual art piece that reinterprets tarot's Queen of Cups energy through a Queer and Black lens. Acrylic paint, nail varnish, sea glass, costume jewelry, hand-painted silk, viscose, tulle.
Image Description: a Black anime style femme figure is seated on a white and gold throne in the middle of a blue ocean. Their deep brown skin is covered in even darker brown hieroglyphs and symbols. They hold a small white bowl of water. Their legs are crossed and their skirts, actual pieces of custom dyed fabric on oranges, and teals, flows across their lap and over their throne. 3D Textile flowers in shades of saffron and coral float around them. They wear a 3D crown made of sea glass, costume jewelry bits and rhinestones. They wear deep blue lipstick and their eyes seem hollow as they are shaded the same blue as the ocean around them.
The Queen of Cups (2021)
Collaboration with Shani Ealey (she/they) visual artist, writer and Spirit chaser living in Oakland, CA.
Over the course of 3 months Shani Ealey and TLMVJ created this mixed media visual art piece that reinterprets tarot's Queen of Cups energy through a Queer and Black lens. Acrylic paint, nail varnish, sea glass, costume jewelry, hand-painted silk, viscose, tulle.
Image description: a medium close up of the piece which shows the detail of the figure's crown of seagrass, costume jewelry bits and rhinestones as well as the brilliant gold outline of each of the locs of their hair.
COLLABORATORS and INSPIRATIONS
Shani R. Ealey
Shani R. Ealey
Shani R. Ealey
Shani Ealey (she/they) is a visual artist, writer and Spirit chaser living in Oakland, CA. For Ealey, the process of artmaking, creating, making the intangible tangible has been one of the most healing and nourishing practices in their life. She believes that through art, through creating we each have an opportunity to connect with our highest and truest selves. Through artmaking, we have the ability to reach down into the depths of who we are and affirm, heal, nourish, feed, witness, love and hold the parts of ourselves that need the most tending.
Instagram: @ani_kweens
Image description: one of Shani Ealey's paintings. A brown skinned figure wearing a cowrie shell headdress with a fringe of beads across the front covering their white eyes. The figure is seated inside a ruffled shell in shades of fuchsia and lilac that looks like a fancy brain coral
Lisa Evans
Shani R. Ealey
Shani R. Ealey
Lisa Evans (they/them/theirs)
is a Black non-binary performer and cultural worker based out of Oakland. Their recent projects include “Blessed Be the Black and Crazy,” an installation focused on Black mental health created in collaboration with Sabaa Zareena and "Confronting The Ghost of Willie Lynch: An Exorcism in Six Parts" a site specific haunted house inspired production. They are a recipient of the 2020 Creatives in Place Residency and recently premiered a digital remount of their solo show “You Really Should Sit Like A Lady” as a part of TheaterFirst’s 2020-2021 Season.
Image description: a sepia toned picture of Lisa Evans, a brown skinned, Non-binary femme. They have shoulder length locs and are wearing a white shirt and a polka dotted shrug. They are speaking into a mic being held in their left hand.
Luna Merbruja
Shani R. Ealey
Luna Merbruja
Luna Merbruja (they/them) is Mexican-Athabaskan healer, writer and multimedia artist. They are the author of "Trauma Queen", "Heal Your Love", and "Tales from the Pomegranate Forest". Their writings have been featured in Nerve Endings: The New Trans Erotic, The Resilience Anthology, and the 2nd edition of Colonize This! Their work centers trans women & trans femmes of color by creating access to artistic development, publishing opportunities, and healing spaces. Currently they are Board Chair of Mirror Memoirs and co-directing a theater project for survivors. You can connect with them on Twitter/IG/FB @LunaMerbruja
Image description: Luna Merbruja is a light skinned Latinx Transfemme. They are pictured smiling into the camera, they wear a coral top with a floral pattern and glasses. Their shoulder length hair is wavy and frames their smiling face