COMPANY INTRODUCTION

Owner story

A Buba Creation is the studio wonderland of Beyonce “Buba” Armstrong’s productions. Buba is a multimedia artist bridging the gap between pop culture and the art world. Her work includes paintings, sculptures, clothing, toys, puppetry, poetry, digital media, and film. Growing up in Bedstuy, Brooklyn taught her to value found materials and take inspiration from everyday subject matter. Overlooked urban landscapes such as a familiar street corner or the symphony of a barbershop conversation are a couple examples of moments that inspire her work. Buba’s approach to genre art intends to shock audiences with authenticity and accessibility. By shining light on the reality of everyday life, her work holds a mirror up to society and represents social culture that is often ignored or disregarded. In this way, her work ushers in a rising contemporary movement- Hood Surrealism.

Similar to Afro-Surrealism, Buba’s work blends traditional aspects of  surrealism such as dreamlike aesthetics and warped imagery with Black culture and social references. However, her work leans more toward the Hood Surrealism subcategory as it highlights the importance of class when shaping the experience of low-income Black people. This specificity in highlighting the intersectionality in Black experiences differentiates her work from traditional Afro Surrealism. Modern media like They Cloned Tyrone, Sorry to Bother You, ASAP Rocky- Tailor Swif, Missy Elliot- Work It, Busta Rhymes- Gimme Some More are all examples of art that merges irrational imagery with urban Black experiences. 

Origins

The natural progression of one’s mind from adolescence to adulthood was exaggerated during Buba’s time in college. In 2018, she attended the Rhode Island School of Design on a full scholarship where she immediately became aware of the cultural differences between living in a predominately black community and staying at a PWI. Themes of mental health, identity, and consciousness were topics that were tackled during her years away from home.

Simultaneous events such as the Coronavirus lockdown and the Black Lives Matter movement forced Buba to enter a new stage of enlightenment as it relates to her understanding of blackness and progression. The forced isolation drove many people into a spiritual journey as they had to deal with internal affairs such as healing one’s inner child, reevaluating taught mindsets, and forming a better understanding of self. Matters of afro-futurism were approached through a regressive lens to signify the parallels of past and future normalcy. One’s childhood upbringing, specifically within the Black American experience, presented as a great area to tackle.

Thus HOOD BABIES were born.