Embracing Heritage and Resilience: Nancy Elizabeth Prophet's Youth (Head in Wood)

When walking into this museum, I was overwhelmed with the amount of pieces and art displayed. I felt a strong sense of power and appreciation for creativity and my heritage. The I will not bend an inch exhibit is very reflective of Nancy Elizabth Prophet's life and the shared experiences and struggle of african americans. Prophet became the first known woman of color to graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1918. Despite this achievement, she faced ongoing racial and gender-based barriers in both the American and European art worlds. These events can be noted in her artwork. Her decision to move to Paris in the 1920s allowed her to escape some of these limitations and find an artistic community, though even there she endured poverty, isolation, and hunger. Her diary entries from this time — particularly the phrase "I will not bend an inch" from 1929 — reflect the deep emotional and physical toll of her journey, as well as her fierce resolve to remain true to herself and her work. There were a lot of pieces that stuck out to me but Nancy Elizabeth Prophet’s sculpture Youth (Head in Wood) spoke to me because it upheld a strong presence and the detailing was crisp. This led me to seek more information about it. As I looked into it further, I discovered that the sculpture reflects Prophet's exploration of discovering her identity and representation. The piece emphasizes form, structure and purity of dark skin. The creative energy and spiritual power can connect to ASHE and ADW class. This artwork exemplifies how black creators infuse spiritual, cultural, and lived experiences into their art. Youth (Head in Wood) relates to beauty, through its clean lines, balance, and the dignity of the youthful face. It channels the power to make things happen by demonstrating how a black woman used her art to claim space and a voice in a world that marginalizes and suppresses her. The strength is visible in the solid quality of the carved wood which is part of the reason why it resonated with me. This can be symbolism for resilience of black identity and growing up as a minority. It also reveals craftsmanship through the artist’s ability to work with a challenging material like wood. In exploring this piece, I realized the connection between this sculpture and Sundiata. In the epic, beauty is not only physical but tied to destiny and inner strength. Sundiata’s eventual rise shows a deeper, spiritual beauty. It’s not just surface- level but tied to dignity, resilience, and inner life of black youth. The artwork and the epic celebrate African history, resilience, and creativity. Sundiata’s physical challenges in childhood symbolize resilience. His eventual strength becomes a metaphor for overcoming adversity. Similarly, the sculpture carved from solid wood symbolizes this through strength in heritage, culture, and endurance. Overall, this piece shows how an artwork can be aesthetic but also a statement of culture and tell a deep rooted story.

Zariya Johnson