Iyomi Ho Ken
Image Credits: Image courtesy of the artist
After taking a critical studies class on Afrofuturity taught by Associate Professor, Adj. D. Denenge Duyst-Akpem, Iyomi decided to focus the collection on being Black and what Afrofuturity meant to her. “I was really fascinated with the theories and ideas.”
Image Credits: Hilary Higgins, Chicago Tribune, 2018.
Many of Iyomi's classmates didn’t know how to critique her work through the lens of race. She discussed her frustration with her professors, and they created an art critique specifically for students who wanted a panel that would talk openly about race as it related to their work. “It was the best critique I ever had at school. It wasn’t just people of color or Black people, but also people who were established and who knew the language."
Image Credits: Image courtesy of the artist
Iyomi won two prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America awards for her senior project totaling $75,000. Today, she lives in Chicago and is a designer for LA-based fashion brand House of Aama. She's also continuing to explore identity through her own projects.
A person in an ornate purple dress on a reflective backdrop
