Ekphrastic Fashion: Spoken Word Performance and Workshop

Ekphrastic poetry describes a work of art in vivid detail, and explores how the viewer has been impacted by their experience with the work. Surrounded by the artworks in No Bodies: Clothing as Disruptor, local spoken-word poets, musicians, and MC’s Marcus C. John, Kaira Hassell, Naa Akua, and Jonathan “Duv” Zaragoza lead an interactive spoken word and “fashion wRap” performance and workshop.

The artists will highlight and awaken works by Georgia O’Keeffe, Nina Dwin, Senga Nengudi, and Winslow Homer through poetry, song, and spoken word, culminating in a collaborative piece. Then, select your own work of art from which to draw inspiration and perform your own creation!

Marcus C. John, the “Preeminent Poet of Yonkers,” is a poet, author, and musician who began writing at the age of eight and spent his teenage years and twenties on stage. In 2021 he was featured on PBS television reading his original poem “Smudges” in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and later that year, Marcus was an HRM Gala Honoree. In 2019, Marcus released “The Book of John: A Collection of Poem, Prose, and Rhyme” and has since traveled the United States reading and reciting from his book. John has taught workshops and performed at numerous colleges, schools, and museums including Utica College, Delaware State University, Virginia State University, the Masters School, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Hudson River Museum. Marcus C. John writes with an open heart, bringing in the knowledge and wisdom from his life experiences to tell an honest and relatable story.

Kaira Hassell is a singer, songwriter, model, and creative extraordinaire from Yonkers, New York. She recently entered L.A.’s R&B/Soul music scene as a tour de force, bringing with her an eclectic musical background and the skills to match. She received her B.S. in Music Orchestration from Molloy College and her artistic accomplishments include having orchestrated and directed choirs for the Rockefeller Tree lighting in New York City, sung as a background singer for Fantasia, Demi Lovato, and Ne-Yo, and performed at Madison Square Garden, The Apollo, Bowery Electric, Verizon Center, and numerous venues across the country. Kaira is a seasoned artist with a unique, soulful, and powerful sound drawing inspiration from her classical vocal training and years in gospel. Currently, she is making her mark on the music industry with her debut album in which she collaborates with top producers like Dr. Dre and Poo Bear.

Naa Akua is a queer Ghanaian/Bajan, New York–born poet, actor, educator, and sound-word practitioner who uses the vibratory energy of sound and the intent of the word as vehicles for healing. The 2019 Citizen University Poet-in-Residence, they are a Writers in the Schools (Seattle Arts & Lectures) Writer-in-Residence at Franklin High School, Hugo House teacher, and Young Women Empowered (Y-WE) youth facilitator. Akua has performed for Book-It Repertory, Theater Schmeater, and was a member of the original Boilesque Ballet Earth Pearl Production “Tailfeathers.” Akua wrote, directed, and produced the one-person show, “Akwaaba: Healing of A Queer Black Soul,” which debuted at Gay City’s Mosaic program. They were a cast member of the groundbreaking play “Queer. Mama, Crossroads” and Sound Theater’s Gregory Award-winning production of “Citizen, An American Lyric,” written by Claudia Rankine. When not writing or performing, Akua is facilitating sound healing sessions that focus on breathing, being in the body, and multi-sensory meditation. 

Duv (Jonathan Zaragoza) is a seasoned solo artist, studio vocalist, performer, and composer. Bronx-native Duv began his artistry as a dancer at The Bronx Dance Theatre, where he studied ballet, modern, jazz, and hip-hop. There is a seamless connection between the finesse and fluidity of his movement and of his voice, and he is known for his vocal range, musical versatility, looping, and beatboxing. Duv has graced the stages of The Nuyorican, Arlene’s Grocery, Rockwood Music Hall, Nublu, and The Bowery Poetry Club, and was a featured artist at Joe’s Pub, BAM, The Brooklyn Museum, Galapagos, The Blue Note and The Highline Ballroom. A founding member of the musical collective Soul Inscribed, Duv is also a four-time recipient of cultural ambassadorship for the US Department of State. He has performed and facilitated in Mexico, Russia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Mauritius, Holland, and Peru, and was a lead performer in the off-broadway show “Cannabis! A Viper Vaudeville,” that premiered July 2022 at The LaMama Theatre NYC, produced by HERE Arts Center.