The Full Set 

THE FULL SET: THEIR FLOWERS EDITION

Full Set is a 20-foot high sculpture of two hands with long colorful nails. This piece is an oversized inflatable with interchangeable nails. This version features LED floral nails.We have channeled the theme of “giving them their flowers” for these illuminated nails. This expression is used to describe giving someone their proper respects while they are around to receive them. This piece is an ode to all the cultural contributors who are often underrepresented, particularly in Black grooming culture.This project serves to dismantle the constant appropriation of Black culture ina fun playful way. It is a way for ‘Blackness’ to iconically take up and occupy the spaces we have previously been shut out of, underrepresented, or pushed out of.‘Full Set’ is a playful origin story that plays with the complex intersectionality of American Culture. It creates a reason to (socially distantly) gather, connect, and celebrates Blackness.OUR THINKING:Kendra Stepp Davis and The Mz.Icar Collective created this piece for the Culture Rooms as a way to connect with authentic self engage with play and creativity. We are most interested in what’s next for marginalized people. We all have a complicated legacy in this nation. Kendra and The Mz.Icar Collective feel the need to create works that are centered around processing the past, enjoying the present, moving forward, and telling our own stories. Authorship of narrative, play, and authenticity is central to finding joy.