watermelon couch
The Watermelon Couch
In 2022 I made this couch as part of my sculpture series for a Juneteenth event in Oakland, CA. Soon as I made it I was like “Oh. This couch belongs in the fields.” At that time I knew very little about farming and making a documentary wasn’t even on my radar. But I just had this vision of going on an adventure with my couch and I decided to pursue it. This organic experience has grown into a multi-media, open-source, research project. It’s still in progress, but the results have been amazing.
The purpose of the couch is to collect stories, amplify voices, and build community in the realms of food justice, Black culture, and raising awareness about our ongoing climate crisis. This project features amazing, talented, everyday people in the form of farmers, business owners, artists, activists, and many more. Thanks for joining me on this journey ✌🏾.
Interviews
Spring Road Trip 2023
Spring 2023, I traveled throughout Northern California to get my first sense of what the Watermelon Couch Road Trip could be. Supporters donated $3k, which enabled my team and I to travel to 3 different farms (rental truck and gas), attend the CA Black Farmers Conference in Fresno, CA and conduct 11 interviews. This trip was a definite success that informed a lot of what I would be doing for the Summer.
Summer Road Trip 2023
Everything came together and I hit the road with what turned out to be an epic journey. I made my way South through California with the goal of celebrating Juneteenth in Houston, TX. From there I pushed east, interviewing people in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. The interviews were a mix of planning, randomness, and destiny. I met farmers, leaders, business owners, artists, and historians. I drove 8k miles in 28 days, conducted 30 interviews/convos, and traveled through 10 states. In 2024 I’m editing the interviews, posting them online, and gearing up for my second road trip this Summer.
The Watermelon Couch Art Series
I’ve been working on new paintings, illustrations, and a photo series inspired by the road trip tour. While these works are still in the development phase, they’re shaping up nicely to be books, animations, and new sculpture pieces.
