Jada Haynes Art

How to Name a Bird was inspired by the book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. In one chapter of the book, Maya works as an elderly assistant for a white woman who consistently calls her by a name which is not her own. How to Name a Bird explores identity, the history and significance of naming across different cultures, as well as the power dynamic associated with the repressive nature of calling someone by a name which is not one they choose to claim. Viewers are invited to write a name on a sticker and place it on the subject while she sits quietly.