Christina Simone Coker (Class Of 2029) — Water, Wood, and the Weight of Memory: Exploring Prophet’s Work (Visiting galleries, 3 points)

What stood out most about this experience was how deeply it made me feel. Prophet’s work didn’t just sit still on display; it reached out to me. The rhythm of the fountain and the stillness of the carved head pulled me into a kind of quiet dialogue. I wasn’t just looking; I was listening. That was its strength: how it turned observation into reflection.

If anything could have made the experience stronger, it would’ve been hearing more about Prophet’s process. I would’ve loved to hear about what inspired her use of masks, water, and wood. Knowing her thoughts might have added another layer to the emotions her art already stirred in me.

This experience connected with what I’ve learned in African Diaspora Studies (ADW 111) about double consciousness; that sense of living between two worlds. This is something I do on the daily as someone of mixed race. Prophet’s still masks and flowing water made that idea tangible. They reminded me of how, throughout history, Black expression has often had to hide its meaning in song, rhythm, or symbol. I noticed the same energy I’ve seen in music, dance, and storytelling. I noticed the way silence turns into voice, and pain becomes art. There’s a pattern of transformation that runs through it all.

Standing before Prophet’s work made me think about my own place in the diaspora; what stories I carry and how I use my voice. It reminded me that strength doesn’t always shout; sometimes it flows quietly, like her fountain. As I move toward a career in medicine, I want to hold onto that lesson — to see healing not just as science, but as spirit and resilience too. Prophet’s art reminded me that care, like art, is a form of creation. It asks us to listen deeply, to honor what survives, and to keep it flowing.

Authentically, 

Christina Simone Coker