bashezo

(ze/zir/zirs, they/them/theirs)

bashezo was born and raised in South Philadelphia, PA and currently lives in Medford, MA. Ze is a Black trans/non-binary transdisciplinary installation and movement performance creative that blends race and queer theory with African diaspora spiritual traditions and aesthetics. Soil, textiles, audio/video elements, clay, mesh, and wood are common materials in zir’s work. These materials are then aggregated as a means to create immersive ephemeral 3rd spaces that centralize Black Indigenous and PoC queer and trans (QTBIPoC) bodies, narratives, and experiences. The core of bashezo’s work revolve around spiritual explorations into/around Blackness, queer Black liberation/futurity, anti-Blackness, trauma, and healing.

cierra

(she/her/hers, they/them/theirs)

Cierra’s practice includes video, sound and durational performance. She works as an artist, dj, and organizer with projects that attempt to examine visual, spatial and sensory representations of blackness. Under the moniker earthaclit, she uses electronic sound and spoken word to foster meaningful conversations around diasporic longings and cultural disruption. Cierra is the co-founder of Print Ain’t Dead, a bookstore and publishing platform for literary and text-based artifacts produced by black, brown and indigineous artists.

nadroj

(any pronouns)

Nadroj Nina Holmes has worked with CreateWell to craft frameworks and develop language for various aspects of the organization's functionality. Nadroj has also coordinated events and performed outreach for the award program.

As an artist they use a lens shaped by decolonization theory and Black liberation traditions to construct works that critically analyze antiBlack propaganda + paradigms. Works often allow for the adoption of counternarratives of resistance. Mediums include sound, video, animation, graphic design, photography, performance, and installation.