We were lucky to catch up with Raichl Davenport recently and have shared our conversation below.

Raichl , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I knew that I wanted to take this hobby to the professional level after the support and positive feedback I received after creating my first piece for someone else.

In 2018 I had been making small art pieces for myself: fabric flowers, Black faces in a natural setting, and simply exploring with African fabrics that caught my eye in the stores. When May arrived and it was time for my now-fiance to graduate from Temple University, I had no idea what to get him. So I decided to make him a gift by hand that reflected him and his journey. It was 4 images of his face with different “props”. All of the figures had his beard and dyed locs. While one had sunglasses, another had headphones, a third had a bandana, and the final face a graduation cap and a 3-dimensional tassel. He is an audio engineer and guitarist, and if you know him, you know he’s never without a bandana and a pair of sunglasses. The response I received from him and his family, my family, and our social media communities was very warm and encouraging. It was after that I started accepting ideas for creations and taking commissions for art work. In 2020 I really began to take my talents ‘on the road’ so to speak, with gallery shows, festivals and juried events.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Raichl Davenport and I am a visual artist and educator from the City of Brotherly Love; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Using printed fabrics, with a special focus on African inspired patterns, I create images that tell stories that center Black people & Black experiences, social justice causes and the natural world. My inspiration comes from my experiences and also my identity.

As a young black girl, I was always fascinated by the beautiful bright fabrics I saw on people at African & African American festivals and in museums, and wanted to have more of that in my life. The fabric store closest to my house, Gaffney Fabrics, was always filled with diverse faces of designers and creatives, elders equipped with their scissors in hand and a pencil nearby, and unique fabrics as far as the eye could see, filling the place from floor to ceiling. Wandering the store, I always perused the fabrics and thought “I want this one AND that one” and looked up towards the creative shoppers thinking “That could be me” “That will be me.” As I was dreaming of a future as a creator, my experiences were helping me realize my purpose for creating.

While I knew where to find images and artwork that resembled me and my culture, I felt that this wasn’t enough. The most popular pieces of artwork that my friends and students were familiar with were created by European men and were often recreations of European people. I wanted to create work that represented beauty through my lens, and create metaphoric mirrors for people like me. I believe that when people see figures in art that look like them and see their stories being told, it is affirming and says that we are worth being seen and remembered.

So in 2018, I started my fabric art journey. I began by making fabric creations just for family and friends. These first creations included their favorite flowers or portraits of family members. But in 2020, as the world changed, so did the nature of my business. I started working under my brand named AfroLove, and taking my art to new places. Larger concepts, deeper meanings, new dimensions, adding adornments and physically participating in shows and gallery events.

I am most proud of the moments where people see themselves in my work. I cherish the moments where I have had children share the excitement of recognizing a Black child playing in my art, dancing under a Cherry blossom tree, or holding hands with a loved one, and running to tell their family about it. It feels good to give people a glimpse of their own beauty. That is one of the goals of AfroLove Philly.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The lesson: Art is not about perfection. Art is a form of storytelling, and there is no perfect way to tell a story. I grew up in a family that promoted excellence and, oftentimes, perfection when it came to academics, appearance, behavior, etc. So when I do anything that I will be presenting to the world, I always have my parents’ voices in my head. While this isn’t a bad thing, I love my parents and the high standards they know I am capable of, my mind constantly seeking perfection sometimes hinders my creative process, and creates thoughts of self doubt and resentment toward my creations. I admit there is space for perfection in my cuts, lines, and adhesion, but when it comes to my story, my art, and my gifts, I am learning to find peace in however those things manifest. That is the definition of authenticity, that is the real me, and that is what I wish to share with the world.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Give students the tools to tell their stories through art. Every human has a story to tell, but too often people don’t have the resources, and too often those people are black, brown, migrant, marginalized, in poverty, etc. I believe “art is for everybody” as Keith Haring told us, but often we, as a society, treat art and the art industry as if it is some posh thing only for “elites” and those who call themselves cultured. If we support arts education and art resources in school, especially in public schools, in time this will create a greater appreciation for the arts across social, economic, and geographical boundaries, and will benefit not only artists but everyone in society. Art, and storytelling are universal connectors of people and also help people heal, so please continue to support and share artists’ work and names. Share artwork, promote art education, employ artists, pay artists fairly.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.afrolovephilly.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/afrolove_philly
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raichl-davenport-450192103/

Image Credits
Julian Harris Raichl Davenport