Photo by Kendall Bessent
by Shanequa Gay
i come from me
i come from momma
and i came through blue
and blue is a portal
and blue is àshe
and àshe is a box chevy
on the unconfiscated streets of lightning
and on the playgrounds of herndon
i reaped what i sowed
the universe in blacks and blues
January ??, 2026
Shanequa Gay is a storyteller from Georgia whose work blends regional motifs to explore identity, culture, and power, focusing on female figures and intergenerational relationships. Her practice spans installations, paintings, performance, photography, video, and monumental sculptures. Recent exhibitions include Four Women at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (2024) and the Atlanta Biennial (2021). Gay is a Do-Good Fellow, Emory University Arts and Social Justice Fellow (2020), and one of five Georgia Women to Watch (2023). She is also a visiting lecturer at Spelman College and Visual Artist-in-Residence at Oglethorpe University (2022-23).
Kendall Bessent is an Atlanta native fine art photographer and creative director based in Brooklyn, New York. He uses his work to communicate his perception of the world around him; rather that be past, present, or future. His work explores the complexities of Blackness, in a way that they are shown in their purest forms. He highlights the beauty, strength, love, and happiness that are all apart of the Black experience. He intends for his work to instill self-love and confidence in people who look exactly like him. Bessent describes his work as “unapologetically Black” and loves to capture and create blatant expressions of Blackness.
