We had the pleasure of interviewing Art, Education, and Community Practice alumnus Madjeen Isaac about her most recent exhibition “Come as You Are, This Is Our Battle Too.” Read below to hear about her practice and how her time in AECP informed her work.
What does the title “Come as You Are, This Is Our Battle Too” mean to you, and how does it relate to the viewer’s experience of your work?
Generally, my works are about home, community, and belonging which I depict through reimagined and hybridized landscapes informed by my Haitian-American upbringing in Brooklyn. The show’s title emerged after learning about an unexpected health diagnosis in the fall of 2023. That experience prompted me to expand into exploring themes around healing and transformation through recurring motifs of celestial beings and sources of light. The work in the show reflects on my journey of leaning onto my community for medicinal, spiritual, and emotional guidance and support through depictions of nurtured community spaces called “lakou”. Lakou in Haitian-kreyòl translates to “communal yard” or “small village” that is usually built upon and passed down through multiple generations who live, engage, and work cooperatively. Lakous were once the catalyst to resistance and revolutions that changed the course of the world and still inform our relationship to our bodies, our communities, and the land.
I would hope that viewers reflect on their own roles within their communities. I question, “what does collective liberation look like?”
Can you share some key moments in your journey leading up to your most recent exhibition “Come as You Are, This is Our Battle Too”
Key moments leading up to my most recent exhibition include allowing myself to create from feelings of uncertainty. I was able to develop works that guided me in real-time and provided a sense of hope.
I was also grateful to be an artist in residence at Smack Mellon leading up to the show. I’ve participated in Smack Mellon’s programs since high school before I knew that I wanted to be an artist. To have been back as an artist in their Artist Studio Program felt like a full-circle moment. It affirmed my practice and my voice as an artist.
What materials or techniques did you find yourself drawn to while creating these works, and why?
I found myself drawn to spending some time in community gardens, Prospect Park and reminiscing on my family’s annual camping trips which I reference throughout the works. Spaces like community gardens, Prospect Park, and camping outdoors are great representations of how a lakou operates. They serve as third spaces and safe spaces that inherently allow us to explore and cultivate our connection to nature and the land.
The show consists of paintings, sculptures, and installations. All of these allowed me to create fantastical landscapes and world buildings, pulling inspiration from my upbringing in Brooklyn, NY as well as my homeland Haiti.
Tell me about your time in the AECP Program. What ideas, practices or teachings have been most important or resonant from the program/utilized in your artistic practice?
During my time at the AECP Program, I was interested in expanding my studio practice into participatory and community-attuned creative projects.
Prior to the program, I was at the Studio Museum in Harlem as an Education intern and at Haiti Cultural Exchange as an artist in residence. Being in these spaces introduced me to ways to bridge gaps between Black and Caribbean communities who may have felt alienated from art institutions or spaces despite having deep influence throughout art history and culture.
During the program, some teachings that resonated with me the most was learning about ethical ways to enter existing communities. Understanding those who occupy and maintain their spaces are experts in their own right. It’s important to let your ideas and intentions as an artist be guided based on their needs.
I find inspiration from spaces such as The Black School, GrowHouse NYC, Food With Fam, Grown in Haiti and community gardens.
These organizations are an inspiration to my work as they practice land stewardship, and placemaking or run initiatives that seek to pour back into communities that may be facing food and environmental insecurities. Their works are also prime examples of the framework “lakou” and can be seen as a nod to the powers of reciprocity, collective work, and responsibility.
How can art continue to play a role in conversations about community and activism in the future?
Through storytelling, commemorating, and educating. Artwork can serve as artifacts of the past and blueprints for future generations to build sovereign futures.
Are there any upcoming projects or themes you’re excited about and can share?
A theme I am excited to explore is the impact of climate change on underserved communities and how it informs our relationship with the land. I also will be participating in a few residencies next year so I look forward to spending some time away from the bustling city.