Felia Davenport. Courtesy of Kranzberg Arts Foundation.
The first piece in visual artist Felia Davenport’s upcoming exhibition, Torn Mixology, is called “The Christening.” This elaborate garment, fashioned as a combination of a judge’s robe and a christening gown, represents a pivotal moment in Davenport’s childhood. Through fabric painted with symbolic patterns, layers of quilting inspired by old photos, and Davenport’s own spoken-word poetry stitched in hair weave, it serves as a testimony to her lived experience.
Davenport created her exhibition over the past year and a half as an artist-in-residence with the Kranzberg Arts Foundation. The installation will open on November 18 at .ZACK’s Urban Ballroom. Although Davenport executed the five-piece series of garments during her residency, the idea for the exhibition came several years ago.
“The exhibit happened because somebody called my daughter white,” Davenport says. “They were like, ‘Oh, look, you have a white kid.’ It was a trigger for me, because, growing up, I had people tell me I wasn't Black enough or that I ‘spoke white.’ I did not know I was different from my mother or my father until I was told. And then I was like, Oh my god, someone's going to tell my daughter that she's different from me. So how do I handle that?”
Torn Mixology’s five looks represent instances in Davenport’s life when she was questioned or attacked because of her multiracial identity. Surrounding the garments, she plans to construct a “gardenscape” whose gradual transition from decay to fertility reflects her own journey of emotional growth.
Creating this installation was part of Davenport’s healing process. She lives with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), a condition brought about by her childhood trauma. CPTSD has led to the loss of the majority of Davenport’s early memories. Reliving those painful experiences, she says, was the most difficult stage of bringing Torn Mixology to life.
Pieces from Felia Davenport's "Torn Mixology." Courtesy of Kranzberg Arts Foundation.
“That was the hardest part—the healing from the moment so that I could put work into the outfits without getting stuck,” Davenport says. “There were points where I couldn’t sew because I was stuck on the memory of what had happened.”
Each layer of Torn Mixology has a metaphorical purpose. The use of hair weave as thread, for example, calls back to times when Davenport was told that her own hair wasn’t real. Throughout the clothing pieces, various media and construction techniques help Davenport reclaim her heritages.
“Freedom,” the final piece of the series, reflects on the changes in Davenport's life since recently turning 40.
“I’m not saying I don't care, but I'm learning to love who I am,” Davenport says. “The noise—which is other people and their opinions—can’t affect me or harm me anymore. Now I’m asking, What do I do to give my daughter a better life and a better understanding of the world?”
The exhibition’s timing is of particular importance. Davenport’s daughter is nearly nine years old—the same age as Davenport’s younger self depicted in “The Christening.”
“For my daughter, [Torn Mixology] is a love letter to say, ‘Look what mommy went through, and look where she's at now,’” Davenport says.
Davenport will present Torn Mixology on November 18 from 6-9 p.m. at .ZACK Urban Ballroom. The evening will begin with appetizers and signature cocktails from 6-7 p.m. followed by a walk through the exhibition and a panel discussion. Tickets are $35 and are on sale now via Metrotix.
