cotton 

embroidery

6.5 x 6.5 in

2017

name politics II

name politics II is an embroidered series in which I depict the classic name tag sticker, and filled them out with responses I have often thought but never expressed. 

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My name is uncommon, and many struggle with it initially. Something I have come up against my entire life, are some who refuse to learn it, or decide to give me a more “suitable or normal” name.

 

With this piece, I think about the power in names, and how when I began going to school in Canada, a teacher of mine decided that my name should be Anglicized for the North American tongue. At the time, I didn’t really understand what this teacher meant or repercussions this would have on my perception of self. So instead of the name my father gave me De-nee-re, I was told Den-ner-ray would be better. Name Politics is my reclamation and vow to the name gifted to me.