Baking trays star in new exhibit exploring Black community, history
CBC
Stacks of aluminum baking trays line bakery walls and are used daily which slowly tarnishes their silver coat.
Gary Weekes looked at these trays and thought about more than just the thousands of cookies and pastries that were baked on them. He saw a range of brown and black tones. He saw a strong foundation despite marks and scratches.
“When I saw the trays, the trays spoke to me … they spoke to me because they reflected elements of my everyday life,” he said.
Weekes, a photographer and artist in residence for the University of New Brunswick's culture and media studies department, used some of these trays in his latest exhibit which displays the range of skin tones and diversity of the Black community.
“Because of the patina of the trays, because the colour, the scratches, the marks, everything that was part of the tray, it reflected the black diaspora to me," he said.
He uses the colour of the baking trays to create skin tones. Each tray has a unique colour and its own scratches and chips — its own story.
He understood the message of the trays as they sat next to an industrial oven, but he thought casting a portrait overtop would help everyone see it.
Weekes intentionally layered head and shoulder portraits of 13 Black individuals on the trays. They portray people who live in New Brunswick but are from diverse backgrounds.
Weekes said he has always been looking for a unique way to portray the Black community, but he didn't know what the medium would be until he stumbled upon the trays.
“I've seen other photographers, I've seen other artists present their work and have things like tar, shea butter, bitumen, all these different materials to portray the black experience," he said. "I was always looking for something that would signify that experience for me and uniquely to me.”
Weekes hopes visitors to his exhibit, Trayces, at the UNB Art Centre in Fredericton will understand the intention of the baking trays, which are partially inspired by scarification.
In Western Africa, scarification is a cultural practice of scarring skin to represent someone’s home or affiliations.
Weekes saw this scarring on newcomers while growing up in England and when he saw the trays scratches scarification was his first thought.
The trays also represent times of slavery and lynching in the U.S., according to Weekes.
Eight casinos across southwest B.C. have been sold to First Nations in the last two years, with the province's gambling scene set to be reshaped as a result.
Hamilton hosts the Junos Sunday, and the musical awards show is bringing tourists, musicians, concerts and a ton of themed events to the city this week.
The multi-million-dollar deal at the heart of a high-profile fight between the Canadian government and one of the world’s biggest carmakers contains multiple clauses about the company’s footprint in Ontario, according to a copy obtained by CBC Windsor.
In recent months, Calgary police have carried out three day-long safety blitzes, parading out dozens of officers to flood an area with their increased presence — at least, temporarily.
A national organization is seeking people with experience in Canada's forestry sector as they put together a working group that will examine ways to improve forest recovery following wildfires.
Ella Heyder is bracing for a breakup, even though she already moved out decades ago.
Shawne Hopkins never saw it coming.
Politicians return to Queen’s Park Monday for a shortened spring session, as Premier Doug Ford prepares to unveil his eight budget amid heightened global economic uncertainty.
Despite a recent announcement that a water supply pipeline will be build in Oneida Nation of the Thames, some members of the community say that's no excuse for taking water for granted.
As scandal has swirled around former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, questions and curiosity have also focused on his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Friday may have been the first day of spring, but winter storms are not over yet for Newfoundland.
While we officially welcomed spring last week, an incoming system will be a reminder that snow is still very much part of the new season, especially early on.
The future of a national historic site in Fredericton is up for discussion at meetings across New Brunswick in the next few weeks as the Anglican diocese considers what to do about costly repairs needed at Christ Church Cathedral.