This large-scale public billboard project by April Bey, Colonial Day Sale: What Are You Gonna Do, If You Like a Woman and Your Mama No Like Am? is a captivating image of an elegant Black woman promoting the brand Colonial Swag. Paying homage to African and African diaspora cultures, this work builds on a sci-fi narrative conceived by the artist. The model is wearing a crown and a striking patterned dress, honoring Black culture. Appropriated from the hair brand Royal Crown, the model’s headpiece is composed of distorted images of the original product. Here, Bey is interested in the history of the product in relation to colonial realities and contemporary culture. In Colonial Day Sale: What Are You Gonna Do, If You Like a Woman and Your Mama No Like Am? Bey highlights the consumer language of colonization to reclaim its imagery in an empowering and provocative approach. In this project, Bey employs the language of high fashion as a tool for the inclusion of new narratives.
Colonial Day Sale: What Are You Gonna Do, If You Like a Woman and Your Mama No Like Am? is presented by Fringe Projects and made possible with the support from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs.