Magnificently Willful
Magnificently Willful is seeking to honor the authentic existence amongst African Americans by celebrating the joys of Roebuck’s true self through her natural hair. The figure is placed in the center while being suspended upside down. By rotating the orientation of the figure, Roebuck depicts a celebration of allowing hair created from yarn to take its true shape. This orientation breathes life to Roebuck’s natural hair, it demands to be seen. The abundance of “hair” draping on, around, and on the floor of my piece creates a platform to celebrate our authentic hair. This tapestry-like-quilted work is about the triumph of fighting to be seen, while also appreciating and educating others on the different curl patterns that African Americans have.
Is there a such thing as belonging?
When society has made it
Impossible
For decades
Told us to hide our true nature
Disregarded our willfulness
Encouraged change
Within
When they don’t know the
Cost
The pain of concealing perfection
The loss of
Identity
But slowly
We have adapted
We have learned to disregard
The media
And allow
Our willfulness to shine
There is no controlling it
It is
Magnificent
It demands to be reconciled
For it shows our true nature
Shouting to be seen
To breathe
To zig-zag its
True coil
From Deserving to Denial
From Deserving to Denial, centering three portraits that are surrounded by a bed of flowers. In this piece Roebuck aims to reclaim agency from her struggles with her racial impostor syndrome and celebrating herworth as a biracial woman.
There is an emptiness
Festering within
The feeling of
Authenticity and
Belonging
Have vanished
The sense of
Identity is lost
They question
The right
To claim
They question
The right
To be seen
But they do not
Understand
That
They are part
Of the problem
The complication
Of seeing
And being seen
There is an
Emptiness
Within
For they
Do not
Understand
The pain
Or even
The loss
Of not
Having
The right
To seize
Who you
Are
For they
Only see
A color
And
Automatically
Assume
That
Is
Your identity
Obscured Identity
The Child Knew Best
Half Caucasian
I Am Biracial Series
Throughout I Am Biracial, Roebuck has sewn three portraits that address her identity. In these portraits she is infusing her canvas with patchwork, fiber, colorful oil pastel, and screen-print ink to piece together her racial identity. This work reveals that Roebuck is more than her skin color, that she deserves more than assumptions, and she will not be put under a microscope without her permission.
Seeing and Hearing The Truth
The Repetition of Traumatic Memory
Farm Boy
Farm Boy explores the upbringing of a biracial sibling, adopted by a Caucasian family. With this works Roebuck reflects on her own childhood memories and the bond that was created growing up with her little brother on a farm. The use of multiple media and materials allows Roebuck to literally piece together on canvas memories that are almost forgotten, while simultaneously strengthening familial bonds.
No, I Don't Speak Swahili
You're From Africa Cause You're Black
Still We Rise
Still We Rise is a larger-than-life tapestry-like-quilt featuring four portraits of Roebuck’s grandmother, herself, her birth mother, and her adoptive mother. Within this piece, Roebuck has depicted herself in the center rising above the prejudice that is rooted within her own family. Still We Rise is piecing together a memory of Roebuck’s grandmother, questioning her own acceptance to the family, and the connected pain of her birth mother giving her up. Specifically, this piece is depicting a statement from Roebuck’s grandmother to her mother saying, “there are other black, Christian families that could adopt her.” This mindset in Roebuck’s grandmother affected their relationship, due to the lack of familial acceptance.
Untitled Self-Portrait
I Forgive You
The Fight For Freedom Amongst The Chaos
I Hear Your Cries
Hair Salon Gossip Gone Wrong
This piece is about one of Roebuck’s experiences with her hair stylist in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Throughout Hair Salon Gossip Gone Wrong, Roebuck draws inspiration from Kerry James Marshall and his salon piece. However, this piece is focusing on how a person is trying to change you, because they believe you are on the wrong path. The path that a person believes will turn into a bad life, and also how a person attempts to pry into your private life without consent.
