Brooklyn Bronzes

Brooklyn Bronzes. Kholisile Dhliwayo. , Brooklyn Bronze is an ode to the generative legacies that have affirmed the agency of Black communities in Brooklyn, paying tribute to the leaders and elders among us, who through their work nurture and protect Black bodies, cultural practices, and knowledge systems., In the kingdom of Benin, bronze sculptures were made to celebrate the lives of important figures. Skilled craftsmen developed lost-wax bronze casting in this part of West African as far back as the 13th century. This form of bronze casting transformed the production of sculpture on the continent and throughout the world., This garden holds a significant place in the hearts and minds of Black Brooklyn communities. Through the installation of the Brooklyn Bronzes, we embrace and revive ancestral practices that celebrate and document the contributions of our leaders and elders. Created through processes of 3-dimensional scanning and lost-PLA scanning, this installation pays homage to the ancestors in their creation of Benin Bronzes. In keeping with oral narrative cultural practices from across the diaspora, the installation also creates opportunities to hear the stories of the elders and leaders we celebrate in their own voice., Brooklyn Bronze is a spatial and oral narrative monument to the joy, resistance, resilience, and legacy of Black advocates, community organizers, artists, educators, spiritual leaders. Their commitment and legacy serve as reminder that we too are future ancestors.