February’s Featured Production: “Give Her, Her Flowers” – A Celebration of Black Strength and Beauty
Experience the power of "Give Her, Her Flowers" at Studio Elevn, Salt Lake City’s creative space. This editorial photoshoot celebrates the strength, beauty, and resilience of Black women, drawing inspiration from tropical flowers to symbolize their uniqueness and femininity. Explore how our versatile studio provided the perfect backdrop for this bold statement on representation in the creative industry. Read the full interview to learn more about the vision and inspiration behind the shoot.
We sat down with creative director Daja Ayahnna Woo to gain some perspective on the meaning behind Give Her, Her Flowers:
What does the phrase "Give her, her flowers" mean to you, and how do you see it reflected in your work or in the creative community?
Give her, her flowers acknowledges the strength that it takes to be a black woman though it often goes unrecognized. I see black strength everyday and I am black strength. The creative community in Utah rarely acknowledges all types of beauty and it’s time that we show more representation and broaden the work that we can do with models instead of giving opportunities to the specific groups of models.
What was your inspiration behind this set and styling? How did you choose these specific colors, and what emotions or messages do they convey?
Our inspiration came from tropical flowers. Just like tropical flowers, we are all rare and unique. As a black woman, we are taught to always project strength. We wanted to highlight the softness and femininity that also comes with being a black woman.
How do you incorporate your culture and heritage into your artistry? Are there specific themes, symbols, or influences that consistently show up in your work?
My culture and heritage is a part of all of the work I do. I don’t have specific symbols or themes as each concept I do is different from the other. But with each shoot I do I get to represent my culture and show that black women do belong in the creative space. And we don’t just belong, we make it better.
In what ways do you hope your art contributes to the celebration, representation, or evolution of Black culture in the creative space?
I hope my art inspires other black creatives to share more of their talent. People want to see their talent and individuality, our culture is beautiful and deserves more representation. We are meant to be in every room that we enter. I hope in the future we can give more representation to all different types of black people and black beauty. We all deserve a spot at the table and it’s our time to take it.
Credits
Creative director: @dajasbad @bcartistry
Photographer: @bcartistry
Florals: @dajasbad @bcartistry
Models: @dajasbad @luciidluna @taylormunlin @destinaefaye @vanessa_carpenter
BTS + Second Shooter: @jenn_woo_photography