Freedmen’s Truths is a body of work by CAMHLAB artist-in-residence Billion Tekleab, documenting the perspectives and histories of the residents of Freedmen’s Town.
Instead of an investigative approach to documenting the neighborhood, Freedmen’s Truths is a collaborative, hands-on effort to capture the spirit that lives within the residents and the ground they walk on. Taking the form of a poetry picture book, Freedmen’s Truths aims will encapsulate the handwriting, pictures, and drawings of the people on the pages. Along with the printed version of the book, there will be a short film of the makings of the project. With the help of the residents, the project will be an ode to freedom and futures beyond.
Location and Accessibility
Freedmen’s Truths programs will take place in various locations throughout Freedmen’s Town. More information coming soon.
About Billion Tekleab
Billion Tekleab (she/her) is a first-generation Eritrean-American interdisciplinary artist born and raised in Houston, Texas. Currently studying African American Studies and Studio Art at the University of Houston, Tekleab is an emerging artist interested in Black histories across the diaspora and using tools to better envision futures. Much of her work reflects the experience of Black joy, capturing Black realities, contiguities between theology and queerness, and the material conditions of marginalized people everywhere. Liberation is a force that persists in Tekleab’s work despite political landscapes. What centers her practice is the belief that a better world is possible and the responsibility for its conception is ours.
About CAMHLAB at Freedmen’s Town
CAMHLAB at Freedmen’s Town is an onsite artist-in-residency program that aims to highlight, honor, and animate the histories and stories of Freedmen’s Town, a neighborhood established in 1865 by over 1,000 formerly enslaved people that is now recognized as Houston’s first Heritage District. In line with HFTC x CAMH’s goals, CAMHLAB at Freedmen’s Town aims to generate research, contextualize, and connect artists and the general public to the stories of Freedmen’s Town through month-long residencies.
For more information, visit CAMH.ORG/CAMHLAB.
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Image caption: Billion Tekleab. Image courtesy the artist.