Synopsis:
Dig-nificant Metamorph is a powerful moving-image work that explores identity, resistance, and transformation through the slow-motion image of a clenched fist. Drawing from personal experience and historical reference, the work becomes a meditation on Black dignity, endurance, and the quiet strength of marginalized individuals. The title merges “dignified” and “significant,” capturing a metamorphosis rooted in self-determination and symbolic resistance.

Work Description:
Filmed at 24 frames per second, Dig-nificant Metamorph unfolds in a slowed, almost meditative sequence that centers on the gesture of a fist — a symbol historically associated with protest, defiance, and Black power. The skin’s texture, movement, and light become visceral, magnifying the emotional weight of a singular human action. The piece employs self-photography, video, and ambient sound to form a layered audiovisual experience, placing the body at the core of political and personal identity.
The work draws conceptual inspiration from Rosa Parks’ historic act of resistance, particularly her reflective words:
“The time had just come when I had been pushed as far as I could stand to be pushed. I had decided that I would have to know, once and for all, what rights I had as a human being, and a citizen.”
— Rosa Parks
By channeling this sentiment through visual language, the artwork elevates a personal gesture into a shared act of remembrance and resilience.