Roxane Mbanga: A deep dive into her creative endeavors

Multidisciplinary artist based in Amsterdam

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THE READERS

As a Caribbean, the issue of blackness in France has always resonated with me.

The complex history of colonialism and slavery has left deep scars on our region, and we have had to grapple with the legacy of systemic racism and oppression.

As we navigate these challenges, I have often felt that the experiences of Black people in France are not widely understood, acknowledged or even recognized.

The lack of representation and visibility of Black French voices has left a void in the discourse on Afro-diasporic identity.

For this reason I was immediately intrigued and moved by Roxane Mbanga Mbanga's NOIRE.S, a personal and political diary that gives voice to Black French women of today through the lens of intersectionality.

In this book, Roxane offers a powerful testimony of the lived experiences of Black women in France, exploring the intersections of race, gender, class, and other forms of oppression.

She speaks candidly about the challenges and triumphs of navigating a society that can be hostile and unwelcoming to Black people, particularly Black women.

As an artist who works across multiple disciplines, including fashion, film, photography, and writing,

I was particularly curious to learn more about how literature has influenced Roxane’s work, and how she sees her art as a tool for advancing social justice and raising awareness about the issues facing Black women in France and beyond.

1.

How has literature influenced your work as a multiciplinary artist ?

2.

Are there any particular books that had a significant impact on your artistic practice ?

Body Talk. Exhibition curated by Koyo Kouoh.

Bringing together artists from different parts of the continent, this group exhibition strives to define and articulate notions of feminism and sexuality in the work of women artists whose body (their own or that of others) serves as a tool, a representation or a field of investigation

3.

What inspired you to write NOIRE.S, and how did you decide to use the diary format to tell the story

NOIRES - London September 2022 © Jack Elliot Edwards

4.

What role do you see art and literature playing in advancing social and political change ?

Naked underneath or How to use clothing to assert oneself

5.

Are there any other writers or books that have inspired you in your writing of NOIRE.S?

A non-fiction that explores the identity crisis of Arabs in relation to the West.

The book is divided into five chapters and a glossary, where Maalouf dissects universal values of identity and applies them to the Levant.

A documentary that gives voice to black women from African and Caribbean backgrounds, sharing their experiences of discrimination.

It highlights the diversity within the Afropean diaspora and explores the intersection of discrimination, art, and blackness.