Art as a Voice for Liberation
des. 9
In a world where the complexities of race and identity are often reduced to trivial representation, Jelsen Lee Innocent stands apart as an artist unafraid to approach and unpack uncomfortable truths.
It’s one of those October afternoons where the warmth lingers as the day gradually slips away. As I walk down the streets of Grünerløkka, the air turns colder and the sky starts to lose its brightness, a subtle hint that the evening is near.
After navigating through the neighbourhood, I arrive at our agreed meeting location. As I approach the entrance door, I spot artist Jelsen Lee Innocent waiting and waving, welcoming me into the building with a warm smile. As I pan the threshold, the industrial vibe of the outside vanishes. The heat embraces me, and I’m met with a bright and open space - a stark contrast to the brickwork that surrounds the outer wall of the building.
We walk up some stairs, pass through a library and enter a spacious room on the second floor. As we take our seats across from each other at the large conference table, I hit record and ask Innocent to introduce himself. He leans back, visibly relaxing in his chair and tells his story.
Roots of Creativity
Jelsen Lee Innocent (41), a Haitian-American artist from Brooklyn, New York, has been living in Norway for the past six years since 2018.
Innocent, who was born to Haitian parents, approaches his heritage with care and commitment. Actively trying to embody another version of a “Haitian man”, a testament to his parents. His artistic practice is fueled by a deep fascination with the intellectual histories of Haiti and the global impact of the Haitian Revolution from 1791 to 1804.
– I appreciate people in history and heritage, and being curious about things. But I am more engaged in showing how American and Western influence – which is both aggressive, deliberate and militarised – disrupts, and what kind of imprint it has on lives and land all over the world, most specifically in Haiti and the Caribbean, Innocent starts.
People tend to forget that Haiti is one of the most revolutionary places in the world, having the most successful and largest slave rebellion to date. This underrated historical fact needs more recognition. Haiti is often described as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, despite being rich in resources, spirituality, and anti-imperial resistance movements.
– Haiti is no more unique than any other nation, but it is unique in a historical context. The revolution in Haiti changed the modern democratic framework all over the world. Europeans' response to that is an example of a template on how they dominate different national sovereignties, Innocent indicates.
He elaborates by saying that his inspiration comes from systemic issues and events happening around us, especially regarding the discussion of racism and oppression.
– Racism is such a definitive element of our society, but no one engages with it as seriously as they should. It is rather discussed as a niche interest or issue, he states.
Innocent raises a provocative point. Is the issue of racism a niche that is regarded as appropriate for discussion only during specific times, or not at all?
Corporate exit to artistic freedom
Innocent also has a background in communication, branding, and advertisement, which he has deliberately moved away from because the work didn't align with his values.
– What actual value does advertising contribute to society? he asks rhetorically.
While working as a Creative Director in the commercial fields in the United States, he gradually explored his art simultaneously. As his political consciousness developed, so did his focus on his art practices, eventually leading to his departure from his corporate career.
Now, navigating the art world, Innocent uses art as a criticism against global systems of domination. His work consists of installations and sculptures that delve into history and the lasting impact of imperialism. By creating immersive spaces, he aims to inspire audiences to reflect on the complex influence of power on contemporary life.
By leaving behind the corporate scene, Innocent opened the door to showcase his work across the United States and internationally, allowing his artistry to reach a wider audience. For example, the project “Men of Change” by the Smithsonian Institution is exhibited at different museums in the United States such as the Washington State History Museum and the California African American Museum.
The role of imagination and fantasy
In 2023 Jelsen Lee Innocent debuted in Norway with the installation “Å falle mellom to stoler” in the collaborative project (be)longing by artist Jessica Williams. Through the installation and publication, he confronts popular media’s “false depictions of ethnic integration as proof of racial progress” in Norway and the West at large. As he frames it, “this work is intended to both instigate and contribute new and direct critical language, constructive political expression and empathic debate within the African Norwegian community”.
Media depictions of ethnic integration communicate ambiguous information. Take for instance Oprah Winfrey, who is usually celebrated as a cultural icon, even though she has faced a list of controversies over the past years. An undesired effect is that this portrayal can overshadow the systematic issues that impact many Black women. Her rise to fame is often held up as an example of the “American dream”, yet it can overlook the challenges faced by women of colour in both media and business.
This year, Innocent serves as the Artistic Director for Black History Month Norway. As Black History Month Norway reflects on the theme “Liberation and Imagination”, Innocent’s art is an invitation for viewers to build a consciousness beyond the aesthetic representation of progress.
– Imagination as a weapon is a privilege we have today, a luxury. How humbling is that?, Innocent begins.
– I often think about our ancestors who were enslaved, raised, and brought up in an enslaved society where everything infrastructurally reinforced the hierarchy of racism, white supremacy and people as property. And despite all that, they were able to envision a world that was completely at odds with any reality they had ever experienced. A reality beyond bondage, he continues.
Looking ahead: the path forward
Jelsen Lee Innocent encourages everyone to engage with the state of the real world and not be limited by mainstream, neo-liberal positions or individual experiences.
When asked how he wants people to perceive his art, Innocent laughs, but quickly responds with:
– I want people to notice the weight and intention behind the materiality, to sense that every detail is an invitation to examine the grip of these systems that overreach into countless sovereignties and lives.
Innocent’s goal is to spark a sense of shared responsibility, urging people to inform one another and actively engage with the realities shaping our world.
As we wrap up our conversation, I ask Innocent if he could describe his art with one word. After a thoughtful pause, he finally says:
– Developing.
