Njaimeh Njie on Storytelling, Archives & Black Community

Описание: In this episode of Artist Unscripted, Winter 2026 Artist-in-Residence Njaimeh Njie reflects on Black womanhood, memory, and the quiet power of the archive. The Pittsburgh-based artist traces the roots of her practice, from flipping through her mother’s Ebony magazines and learning batik alongside her father, to her years as an educator and documentarian. Njie speaks about storytelling as both responsibility and collaboration, using images, research, and hand-made processes to honor lives and histories often overlooked. As her work evolves toward more tactile methods, she considers what it means to hold history, to remember collectively, and to ask what ties Black communities together across time and place.

Learn more about Njaimeh: https://mccollcenter.org/artists-in-r...

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About the series:

Artist Unscripted is a new video series that invites you into artists’ studios for relaxed, candid conversations. Each episode features a sit-down between an artist and our Marketing Director, Makeia Carrier, offering an unscripted look at process, practice, and the realities of making art work.

0:00 Intro
0:34 What's “Play” in Your Art?
1:04 Introduction + Artistic Focus: Black Life, Archives & Community
1:44 Early Influences: Family, Photography & Ebony Magazines
3:09 Teaching & Advocacy
4:59 From Educator to Maker
7:18 Counter-Narratives About Black Women in Pittsburgh
9:34 Evolving the Practice: Making by Hand
13:41 Ties That Bind Black Communities
15:40 Residency as Focus + Community Engagement
16:26 Collaboration vs. Solo Practice
17:37 Honoring Voices in the Archive
18:08 Storytelling & Memorable Past Projects
21:18 The Importance of Family Archives
26:34 What Makes an Image Special Now?
27:40 First Artistic Memory
29:14 New Projects at McColl Center
35:29 Daily Structure
38:46 Working Through Feeling Stuck
40:16 Loosening Up & Artistic Maturity
42:16 What Stays? What Goes?
43:50 “Why Not?” as a Way of Living