We need to talk about Black women’s health. Loudly.

Northwestern Feminist-in-Residence Kyrin Hobson has spent the academic year incubating an art project focused on Black maternal health and health equity.

“From a Black Womb” builds on her previous work interviewing family members in Louisiana about midwifery and herbalism. Her Northwestern project began with student, faculty and staff interviews, which she translates to visual form using kinesthetic empathy, a process of mirroring and mark making on paper based on the gestures of the interviewees. Hobson uses recyclable, waterproof paper for the mixed media paintings.

“The paintings are intimate interior landscapes that describe how people perceive their bodies and the experiences they’ve had,” Hobson said. “Whether the stories were about childbirth, gynecological health or the decision not to have children, they are all survival stories.”

The visceral, humanizing approach of the project offers an alternative to statistical data. By opening a new means for discussion with and about Black folks surviving preeclampsia, preterm labor and uterine disorders, Hobson said she hopes to catalyze greater awareness and pave the way for potential policy change around health inequities. 

Hobson will provide a brief overview of the project during the Women’s Center Garden Party on Thursday, May 30, from noon to 2 p.m., at 2000 Sheridan Road. A final project presentation and reception will be held Tuesday, June 4 at 4:30 p.m. in Searle Hall (Health Services), 3rd floor, Room 220, at 633 Emerson Street.

When finished, the project will include a dozen paintings as well as textual collages assembled from interview transcripts. Hobson is collaborating with moving image artist Ireashia Bennett to bring the project to an immersive interactive digital platform.

For more information about Northwestern’s Feminist-in-Residence, visit the From a Black Womb website or the Women’s Center.