Gabriela A.K.I. Sealy

Sueños de Hijas

Legacy is something that isn’t tangible, but something that is passed down. As an Afro-latina Caribbean woman, I wanted to shed light on where I draw inspiration from, my culture. My explorations included a focus on black mothering and generational growth. My research was on Black mothering, and black women thriving which is not often what we focus on. What is our dream?

Through this project I’ve illustrated and animated a living dream. A reality of what my happy place was, and my dream, my motherland of Panama. My grandmother’s house was a haven, and my Afro-Latina grandma is what made it feel so magical. From her bushy fur coats in the closet to the carved wood and vines making it feel like my personal tropical forest. This is where my first memories of legacy began. I can only dream of a utopia where me and all of the hijas could stand proud with our mothers in all of our glory.

Through this project I’ve illustrated and animated a living dream. A reality of what my happy place was (my grandmother’s house), and my dream, my motherland of Panama. My grandmother’s house was a haven, and my Afro-Latina grandma is what made it feel so magical. From her bushy fur coats in the closet to the carved wood and vines making it feel like my personal tropical forest. This is where my first memories of legacy began. I can only dream of a utopia where me and all of the hijas could stand proud with our mothers in all of our glory. There is a glimpse of this vibrant dream, but we’re pulled back to reality.

These weer my guiding references throughout the making of this project. Including photos I took on my last trip to Panama, my initial portrait sketch of my Tia in a Panamanian Pollera, Molas (Panamanian indigenous textile), a photo of my grandmother, a photo of my Tia, and a photo of my cousin and I in our grandmother's house. The highlight of my references are the photos of this small old city in Panama called Casco Viejo, you can just feel the magic and culture oozing from each shot. The city is not only beautiful but very historic, with it's Spanish architecture.

Closing Statement

As a designer I feel as though I have evolved in so many ways in pursuit of this project. I initially had two other output ideas that had to be eliminated. The reason for my initial pivot was due to the pandemic, making it impossible to source my required authentic materials, and the second was due to a lack of design exploration satisfaction. After discovering this new 3D software called Mental Canvas, I decided it would be a nice storytelling medium. This was fitting because I wanted my legacy to be one that was abundant and full of life. Unlike much of the pain, sorrow and struggle we usually associate with Black women, and Black mothering. Through much trial and error I was able to create my dreamscape, and illustrate the pieces of my story. Due to my various setbacks I wasn’t fully able to achieve the level of detail I had hoped for, however I was able to convey my message. After just over a month of using the program, I am happy to say I was able to create my first animated fully self illustrated mini fashion/ethnographic/culture film. As an Afro-Latina/ Caribbean Black woman it was very important for me to share an intimate story that I was connected to. The concept of legacy and dreams just spoke to me on so many different levels, coming from an immigrant family, coming from such a different culture and just existing and expressing myself as me. Through this project I’ve given a slice of my happy memories of the things that I was connected to, and the things of my dreams and most of all my heart and my motherland.