Luckily she replied straight away and I was really pleased that she had got into contact with me so I could as her the questions I required. Below are some screen shots from our conversation.
Q. What is your ethnic background?
A. My father is Nigerian, my mother white English.
Q. Have you ever experienced prejudice as a women of colour, if so what did you experience?
A. To an extent during my junior school years from other kids but mostly because I grew talk very quickly but stayed really skinny so they called me a Cambodian!!
Q. Do you feel like black british women are portrayed in the media enough, do you think there is a reason for this?
A. I've always felt that for colour not to be an issue it should never be an issue, in other words let's talk about who IS portrayed in the media and are they worthy, not about the colour of their skin.
Q. As a creative I feel I get most of inspiration from my background and where I come from, do you find this is something that is also relevant in your practice and influences your work?
A. No, if you're referring to my parent's background. With respect to mine, I was born and raised in the UK and lived in the States for a number if years after graduating, I think this and my decision to study architecture at university have had far more influence on my career than the colour of my skin or that of my parents.
Q. What inspired you to do architecture at university and then work within the creative industry?
A. Passion for creativity. Desire to study something vocational (too squeamish for medicine, wasn't interested in law, so chose architecture!). Love of magazines, and the power of the image plus the written word.
Q. What advice could you give to future generations of black women to empower them?
A. Follow your passion, forget about colour! You're a woman, not a "black" woman. Just get on with being the best you can be. Anything else is irrelevant, and that belief HAS to start inside otherwise you self-perpetuate racism. Strong words but that's what I believe... Don't make something an issue that shouldn't be an issue!
Unfortunately after printing my book, she didn't reply in time for me to put the interview within the exhibition manual. However I will use what she has written in the exhibition art pieces which will be in the form of posters. I really enjoyed contacting and speaking to Michelle and was grateful that she replied. That fact that she is the editor in chief for Elle Decorations magazine and owns her own studio is a really inspiration thing for women to look up to and I have also created a contact in the industry for future reference.
A. No, if you're referring to my parent's background. With respect to mine, I was born and raised in the UK and lived in the States for a number if years after graduating, I think this and my decision to study architecture at university have had far more influence on my career than the colour of my skin or that of my parents.
Q. What inspired you to do architecture at university and then work within the creative industry?
A. Passion for creativity. Desire to study something vocational (too squeamish for medicine, wasn't interested in law, so chose architecture!). Love of magazines, and the power of the image plus the written word.
Q. What advice could you give to future generations of black women to empower them?
A. Follow your passion, forget about colour! You're a woman, not a "black" woman. Just get on with being the best you can be. Anything else is irrelevant, and that belief HAS to start inside otherwise you self-perpetuate racism. Strong words but that's what I believe... Don't make something an issue that shouldn't be an issue!
Unfortunately after printing my book, she didn't reply in time for me to put the interview within the exhibition manual. However I will use what she has written in the exhibition art pieces which will be in the form of posters. I really enjoyed contacting and speaking to Michelle and was grateful that she replied. That fact that she is the editor in chief for Elle Decorations magazine and owns her own studio is a really inspiration thing for women to look up to and I have also created a contact in the industry for future reference.
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