Meet dom sankofa

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful dom sankofa. a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi dom , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

Unfortunately, I found it through heartbreak. I was going through a breakup, and everyone around me suggested I tap into the passions I had before meeting the person. I’ve been an artist since I was five years old, so I slowly but surely started painting and rug tufting again. It wasn’t until this time around when I actually made things that reflected my interests (i.e., Afrocentricity, chilhood imagery, etc).

I would take inspirations from my own experiences in Black culture, child/girlhood, and the combination of both to paint pictures that represent me and those around me with similar experiences. It was through this where I was able to tap in to an audience that is so supportive and receptive of my art where I found some purpose and confirmation that I’m heading into the right direction.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Hi! My name is Dominique, but I go by dom/dom sankofa. I’m a recent graduate (M.S in Sociology) of Valdosta State University. I’m a multidisciplinary visual artist: I paint (both traditionally and digitally) as well as do a little rug tufting under the brand nostalgia90seven. I’ve been making art since I was five years old; my love for art started in Art enrichment in Elementary school. I’ve always felt like I’ve been able to express myself fully through the art of making or curating things such as paintings, rugs, or even clothing.

I once had an interesting relationship with art, and I felt like I couldn’t monetize off of it, making into a small hobby. I also felt like I would lose my love for it if I made it into a business so I strayed away from falling too in love with it. Eventually, after much needed character development, I took my art seriously and just started creating things that made sense to me. Now, I can see myself taking my art to different heights.

nostalgia90seven’s motto is, “Paying homage to African diasporic culture through artistic expression”. My goal is to not only make culturally competent art, but to reveal the beauty of Black life to the masses. Black culture is often dissected and commodified to fit the status quo, but I want to be able to paint, appreciate, and recognize all facets of life: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three things that are the most impactful on my journey currently is my sense of self, my educational background, and the support I get from those closest to me. From an early age, I’ve known who I was and what is expected of me. While in my youth I wasn’t the most receptive of myself, I give thanks to my mom for instilling the culture within me and being unapologetic in her expression of it. As a social scientist, I’ve been able to research areas such as representation specifically with African diasporic culture, so being equipped with the knowledge as well as the artistic ability to compose different types of pieces. Even through this journey, I’ve gotten a lot of support from those closest to me and it gives me the okay that I’m doing something good with my life. While I would still make art, the extra recognition shows me that someone is watching.

For those who are early in their journey, always remember that your art is personal to you. Developing your style is a continuous process, so create consistently. Also, it’s always okay to come back to a piece, but never strap! You never know, that piece can be the one that catapults you into places that you couldn’t imagine.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

The most impactful things my parents did were providing me with the mediums to express myself. Before receiving my first sketchbook, my mom would bring boxes of copy paper back home so I could have something to draw on. Even those 95% of those sketches would be thrown away, something as simple as copy paper was my outlet to make things, establishing a drawing foundation. I became interested in rug tufting while in undergrad, and my dad built has built a few rug frames for me. Because of this, I was able to started nostalgia90seven as a rug business originally. All of my parents (mom, dad and stepmom) have been extremely supportive through this journey, not only providing me with the tools to carry about my different mediums, but have also been at attendance to all of my events as well as spread the word about what I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nostalgia90seven.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nostalgia90seven
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominiquepollard/

Image Credits

all pieces of work are done by dom sankofa.