WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Arriving at the Anacostia Park Roller Skating Pavilion on a picture-perfect September D.C. afternoon, an artistic extravaganza was exploding before my eyes.
A corner of a basketball court had sprung to life with a soulful and interpretive mix of colorful tarps, yarn and a partial mannequin.
"Honestly, I want you to see what you see. I feel like I don't want to dictate anyone's perception," said artist AfroVelvet.
Wearing roller skates and with their hair decorated with bright blue beads, Velvet begins to describe the nature of her work -- which at this moment -- ties together the art display she's created, her new song 'DC <3' and a humanistic element with a model being prepared for a photoshoot by a makeup artist.
"AfroVelvet is my alter ego," they said. "My name is Malissa. I would describe myself as a transmogrifier. As a design architect. As a producer."
I was not remotely prepared to offer an interpretation of what I was seeing, as I am someone who needs a detailed understanding from an artist of what they're working to convey.
"So my collections are centered around industrialism and futurism," Velvet said. "In my art, a lot of what I'm doing is telling a story of where I feel like I come from and also where I'm going."
Velvet's description of themself as a 'transmogrifier' was curious and took me a moment to grasp. Velvet says it refers to someone who lives life in search of their own evolution and destinies. Velvet believes we don't necessarily have one destiny – we may have several.
"A lot of my music is along the same theme of evolution. If you listen to my discography, none of my music really sounds the same. I rap in some songs, I sing in some songs. Some of them sound very gospel-like," Velvet said.
"This reclamation by the people who are from D.C. and the gentrification that's going on and the butting heads. I wanted to really create something that people can resonate to in this moment."
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