The Black Madonna is part of the "Cultural Appropriation and Assimilation series."

Found in hundreds of Catholic churches across Europe and Latin America, the Black Madonna, a depiction of the Virgin Mary with dark skin, remains one of the most mysterious and controversial religious icons.

Inspired by those icons, I created my own Black Madonna.

Interestingly so, people who are not familiar with the history of the Black Madonna are puzzled by this atypical image of a black woman; but, they all agree: she must be a queen.

This reaction brings me back to the cultural and fashion values coming from Western European traditions. Those cultures taught us to morally evaluate the dress, which results in an interpretation of the physical body that wears it.

As a result, we perceive the role of a person based on their dress code.

The Black Madonna is a Queen because she's dressed like a queen. She is what she appears to be.

She becomes WHAT SHE WEARS.