Xavier Robles de Medina
Aaliyah Queen of the Damned. Directed by Michael Rymer, Warner Bros.Pictures, 2002 2023-2024

An acrylic on wood painting, Aaliyah. Queen of the Damned. Directed by Michael Rymer, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2002, confronts entrenched notions of origin and power. A metaphor for diasporic experiences and consequences of colonial histories, the painting is steeped in cultural appropriations, resonating with Stuart Hall’s writings on diaspora and identity and emphasizing the constructed nature of identities: the complex ways in which cultures intersect and diverge. Drawing parallels with exchanges of global visual culture and colonialism, the work critiques through the lens of pop culture, reflecting on the ways mainstream media shapes our understanding of history and identity.