WADE IN THE WATER, 2024

Much of White's work examines popular culture and consumerism, and its effects on society and identity. Brands, advertisements, and marketing often determine and define the zeitgeist. The logo for Black-owned brand, Rocawear, which demonstrates empowerment and defines the aesthetic at the intersection of music and fashion, occupies the upper right corner of WADE IN THE WATER. Other objects in the composition include the ‘Seal of Cotton Trademark’ logo, distinct blue directional lines referencing the popular routes of the transatlantic slave trade, a broken key, a brass trumpet, a flaming torch in the style of Minecraft, a sprouting conch shell, and a chakra alignment. Each object carries cultural and identity-based significance, holding deep and complex associations with world history.