Story: Home is where the heart is. For me, home is found in the presence of my mothers; the safe, nurturing spaces they created, which felt like sanctuaries for the soul. In this work, I explore the physical and spiritual embodiment of home, drawing upon the legacy of the incredible women in my family: my great-grandmother Lena, my grandmothers Paula and Sheila, and my mother Kanekee. Together, we span generations, connected by the multigenerational house in Uptown, Washington, DC, a cornerstone of our shared history.

My great-grandmother Lena purchased our Uptown home in 1973. She adorned it with blue floral plastic furniture, proudly displayed trophies, and family portraits, a visual narrative of our roots. This home was not just hers; it became the family home, a haven where every friend, cousin, aunt, and uncle found solace at some point. Its walls held the vibrations of life, from laughter to sizzling grease in the kitchen, the familiar cadence of Jeopardy, the creak of wooden floors, and the metallic clatter of the gate outside. It was never quiet, never still. This house embraced joys, traumas, spiritual growth, and the complex symphony of Black familial life for over thirty years. Now, as time moves forward, all my grandmothers have entered eternal rest. Yet the essence of home lingers, carried in my heart and reflected in how I navigate the world. It lives in the way I carry myself as a woman, how I treat others, and how I talk with God. My home is an enduring testament to the beautiful, bold, benevolent, and God-fearing Black women who built it, and the love they infused into every corner of our lives. This mixed media masterpiece, Grandma’s House, is a tribute to their infinite love, resilience, and legacy; a sanctuary of memory, spirit, and
timeless connection.

The picture was taken between the late 1970's early 80's. And the collage has pictures from the early 1970's and early 2000's.

Submitted by: Mahkai Dominique

Connect: @mahkaidominique