The Carcosa Interview: Dania Frink and the Responsibility of Black Artists

I love Instagram. I admit that 90% of my time using the Instagram app is looking at dogs and cosplayers (judge me, I don’t care). You should know that Instagram is also home to many talented artists as well. I stumbled upon Dania Frink’s Instagram page not too long ago and knew I wanted to see more. Not only that, but I knew that I wanted to know more about her phenomenal artwork, the woman who created it, and the thought process that went into creating. Black Nerd Problems: Your artwork is unapologetically Black: adinkra symbols, hip hop lyrics, kinky and curly hair textures, and portraits of people who have similar features to mine. Just stunning and quite revolutionary in my eyes. What are some of your influences, and just how necessary is it that you produce the art that you make? Dania Frink: Your words warm my heart, thank you! Yes, my art is unapologetically Black. For many years, I have been creatively driven by one of (the incomparable) Sonia Sanchez’s quotes, “The black artist is dangerous. Black art controls the ‘Negro’s’ reality, negates negative influences, and creates positive images.” That’s a powerful statement, and reflects the responsibility of Black artists. I consider it an honor and my duty to reflect all aspects of my experience as a Black woman. Not just the negative elements, the struggles — we often see that reflected in media and pop culture — but also the positively beautiful elements that most don’t get to see. It’s important that the diverse stori…