When colonizers decided not so long ago that their way was the only way, it required them to reprogram thMy artistic praxis, Water. Water as memory, water as ancient technology, I am the vessel, water within me, and the goal is reverse osmo(cis). 

 

Meaning the undoing of colonialism (all the isms and phobias) and the yt imagination on African queer bodies and ultimately all African bodies. The entirety of my artistic career has been around understanding performance as a tool of the dominant culture that is used to distract, manipulate and coerce. 

 

Whether via, acting, writing, direction, creative direction, artistic direction, modeling, design and beyond, no matter the discipline in the visual arts. I return it to the water ancestrally, which then thru me, embodied, to the cloud and back down to The Watering W(hole). Repeating the process in perpetuity slowly returning me and my ancestry home. 

 

Reverse Osmo(cis). 

 

Water, the technology, has forever been a part of my life. Created and birthed from water, made of water; when I was born my mother told me I had water in my lungs. 

 

So I spent the first few days of my life in an incubator, hooked up to machines, making sure that I knew how to breathe. 

 

Making sure that I knew I was all human and not part fish. 

Except I was both. 

This was my first initiation as a child of Mami Wata. 

 

My mother, though she did not know it, or perhaps she did, offered me up to Mami Wata in return for my safe journey as I traveled this life. You see, my mother is deathly afraid of water, and rightfully so, her ancestral record of knowledge told her so. Our ancestors who rest at the bottom of an angry sea. 

 

e natural order of things. And while they contorted nature to meet their needs, the tech(know)logy, the ancestral record, the water, the earth remembers and the truth remains. 

 

My artistic practice is to disrupt ancestrally, revealing the truth of a thing or person(s). 

 

What we see in Black Queer Americans is merely a s(hell) that is still being manipulated in the name of white power. A foreign s(hell) that has now been left on the shores of Alkebulan purposefully. 

 

Except this s(hell) holds no memory, it's a fake, a dupe, but because it is shiny and new, we clamor for more. If you place your hands in the sand and allow the waves to baptize you, Mami Wata whispers; “we have been here before and we must wake up.”

 

The nature of African bodies is that we have always been inherently quee(a)r in the face of order (whiteness). Very few things in nature operate linearly and we are the earth's original children, lines are for those with no belonging. Remember we belong, we have never been alone.

 

A practice of letting the body lead and retraining it to turn inward when fear and crisis arise, knowing that all the answers you need are within, undoing the fear that the answers we need are without. So when you move to crawl out of your skin allow Mami Wata to transform the original sin to seed, fertile soil, an ocean within me. 

 

My entire life has been a journey of restoring my African body to its fullness and removing the many s(hells) of self that I created in order to survive in this system. A Cistem that simultaneously thrives on anti Blackness while also stealing and appropriating every aspect of African culture in order to push an agenda where white power is shrouded and safe at the center. Underneath those s(hells) trapped in the water, protected, resides a deeply rooted ancient ancestral flower that is now ready to bloom. This is the work I embody. 

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In addition to their artistic endeavors, Curry is deeply committed to plant wellness and their ritual practices as a way to restore ancient memory that has been deeply buried. 

 

We are the tech(know)ology

I am the technology

A child of Mami Wata

The water moves through me and I am its conduit

It is now time to return 

across waters where my ancestors died

dreams not lost but deferred

seeded in me many generations later,

fertile soil

I return 

Home

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Something that can seem impossible. Home. Quee(a)r bodies across the diaspora, quee(a)r bodies in Africa.

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We are the technology that will restore us all whole. The imbalance created by colonized terror, now being enacted by our own. 

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We will dissolve colonial lines and restore us to community, care, and sovereignty. 

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To be African, to be Black is to be inherently queer. We must remember the tech(know)logy. 

Kiing Curry is a distinguished multidisciplinary artist with over 20 years of experience in teaching and design. Known for their innovative and impactful work, Curry seamlessly blends various artistic disciplines to create thought-provoking and transformative pieces.

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Their passion for the liberation of Black peoples across the diaspora is evident in every project, as they strive to highlight and celebrate Black culture, history, and resilience. They have worked with NPR, Huff Post, Local news, Melanin Pool Poppin, Eloquii (Black Creators Project), Bad Queers Podcast, Solstice Intimates, Black Beauty School, Good Dye Young, and they have worked with a few well known artists as well. This barely scratches the surface of the work they have done over the last 20 years.

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An Afrikan Artist, Curry holds a Bachelor of Science in Theatre from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of California, Irvine. Their academic background has provided a solid foundation for their diverse artistic practice and teaching career.

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Curry’s work crosses theatre, film, art, technology, design and production, demonstrating their versatility and commitment to multiple forms of expression. They have worked on stage, backstage, on set, and in the production room, bringing a wealth of experience and a comprehensive understanding of the creative process to each project.

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s as a tool of healing and liberation for Black communities. They have integrated the principles of plant wellness and medicine into their work, using nature and botanical elements to promote physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. This unique approach underscores their belief in the power of holistic healing and the importance of reconnecting with the earth for personal, collective, ancestral liberation.

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As a licensed cosmetologist, Curry is dedicated to the work of decolonizing Black hair and the body, helping communities restore their ancestral power. Through their decolonized cosmetology practice, they challenge eurocentric beauty standards and empower individuals to embrace their natural beauty and heritage as the foundation for embodiment.

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Curry is a jewelry designer (Bead & Cowrie), creating little art pieces that are accessible to everyone. These unique creations serve as both beautiful adornments and powerful symbols of protection and empowerment. Bead because it is the currency of Black Femmes and Cowrie because it is the technology of African people. 

If it has to do with visuals and their creation and curation, Curry is indeed that human.

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Throughout their career, Curry has been a dedicated educator, inspiring countless individuals to explore their own creative potentials. Their commitment to design excellence, social justice, and holistic wellness, and African embodiment has earned them recognition and accolades in the art community. Curry is a disruptor for change, opening the door of equity to all, not just some, and ensuring that their work creates inclusive and equitable opportunities for everyone.