Each Other's Helping Hand
Each Other’s Helping Hand by Amaranthia Sepia & Claire Jones
A digital cartoon drawing of two Black women sits on top of a digital collage of newspaper, watercolor splotches of blues, greens, and torn brown and white paper. Some drawings of watercolor pink, purple, and yellow flowers decorate the collage. The two cartoon drawings are drawn with white and black outlines, making them look like a cut-out pasted on the collage.
The young Black woman to the left is walking forward with her left leg in front of her. You can see she's wearing a black and white platform boot. She has long locs tinted blue decorated with silver and gold cuffs. Her eyebrows are blue dots, and she has spiky eyeliner. She is wearing a paisley print KN95 and a spiky black choker. Her shirt is a sheer fishnet with a blue denim crop top. The crop top has a large silver zipper and chains swinging on each side. Silver eyelets cover the crop top. The pants are flare style and have tiny black and grey dots. Around her waist is a black and metal studded waist belt with swinging lunar moons attached. In her right hand is a cartoon drawing of a square white portable mini HEPA filter with a brown handle. Behind her is her left hand reaching backward, holding her Mom's hand.
The Mom is a fuller-bodied Black woman with a shaved head, and silver fade. She's wearing large red and gold glasses with a gold chain attached. Over her mouth is a zebra print KN95, and she's wearing a zebra print cloth choker. She's wearing a silver Tree of Life necklace, a brown bead necklace, and a tiny necklace with two rose gold and gold hearts. The woman is wearing a black shirt under a large flowing grey jaguar print kimono-inspired top. The top ties in the middle. Her pants are palazzo style and are sprinkled with shades of brown, reminiscent of watercolor splotches and splashes of coffee. She's walking forward, next to her daughter, with a red cane decorated with a Japanese-style print showcasing pink and red cherry blossoms. She's wearing combat-style black boots decorated with a red plaid print.
“I wanted to show how fashion, in a way, is an access tool for us. Dealing with increasing racial and disability-based discrimination as people move on from the ongoing pandemic and being one of the few still masking her in NH, fashion has been a way to reduce anxiety and build confidence and pride within ourselves. Growing up in a state less than 2% Black, I always stood out and was bullied because of it. I might as well take advantage of standing out and try to embrace it by using fashion inspired by my time in Japan, a peaceful time when I felt accepted and cared for.
Adding masking to our outfits, in a way, makes us feel more secure because it allows us to feel protected and confident while entering spaces where infection might be a high risk. In the piece, you'll also see me holding a mini HEPA filter, which I use while entering medical settings with my Mom. This also reduces the risk of infection and is utilized as an access tool.”
-Amaranthia Sepia
Amaranthia Sepia feels it's critical to use her voice to facilitate representation of marginalized women and marginalized genders. As a Buddhist Black invisibly disabled woman she highlights unconventional experiences through art. Amaranthia, along with her Mom, Claire, is the co-founder of Sista Creatives Rising, home of virtual charitable art event "Art & Mind," which helps creative folk who are marginalized women and marginalized genders gain accessibility and visibility in the arts to facilitate personal healing.
Returning to America after spending her childhood in Japan, Sepia was severely bullied. Creating works based on fond memories of Tokyo taught her the healing power of art. Since 13, she's coordinated art events on anti-bullying advocacy, BLM, disability, and women's mental health.
Claire Jones is Amaranthia’s mother and creative collaborator. In one week in March 2022, days after launching Sista Creatives Rising with her daughter Amaranthia, Claire lost her mobility by the hour. Enduring emergency surgery to remove a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma from her spine, she let go of all delusions and illusions about her health. Claire is now within the 1% category to walk again after such surgery. Now in remission, Claire redetermined to help marginalized women gain inner strength by accessing their artistic side.
A Buddhist and Frances Perkins Scholar, Claire's journey to scholarship began during her childhood in Barbados when she sought relief from the chaos of living under domestic violence. Claire uses her creative works and writings to encourage women trauma-survivors to utilize art for self-improvement.
Artwork by Amaranthia Sepia & Claire Jones
Object description written by Amaranthia Sepia
Objects of Access aims to start conversations about access, disability, D/deafness, chronic illness, and neurodivergence. It is borne from collective work, discussions on accessibility, disability justice, and is a living, breathing archive. Objects of Access invites reflection on a range of access needs, while provoking thought on accessibility as aesthetic and a continual process.