Have you heard about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? It defied nature's law by learning to walk without feet. It may seem funny, but by holding onto its dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air. Let us celebrate the rose that grew from concrete when no one else cared. - Tupac Shakur The Congo cosmogram presents time as a cyclical phenomenon rather than linear. Just like in nature, time bends and curves back on itself, and all things follow the same cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. Recently, I learned about the term "Afrotropes," which refers to the recurring codes, symbols, aesthetics, and concepts that emerge from Black culture. Coined by art historians Huey Copeland and Krista Thompson, Afrotropes are visual forms that have become central to African-diasporic culture and identity. They recycle Black visual culture and become significant markers of our most important moments. With each repetition of these ideas, Blackness expands and stretches, igniting and fueling our experiences when we least expect it, but when we need it the most. In my exhibition, "...They Didn't Realize We Were Seeds: We The Roses," I explore Black identity across different time periods and cultures, encompassing art, fashion, politics, and spirituality. Through my work, I aim to identify and utilize these Afrotropes, showcasing their inherent power and significance. Transformed into totems or fetish objects, they carry cultural weight and serve a protective function, safeguarding Black subjectivity and vitality. In my pieces, you will encounter everyday objects that have been transformed and empowered. African ritual masks alongside Air Jordans and memorial t-shirts amplify the enduring presence of these cultural and spiritual retentions. What may initially seem like a collision of ideas is actually evidence of the resilience and adaptability of indigenous African spiritual and philosophical constructs, which continue to shape and influence contemporary Black identity. For instance, my "Real NEGUS Don't Die" paintings resist and reject the idea of death as a tool of coercion and control. The term "NEGUS" is an Amharic word meaning royalty. The spirit and legacy of the individuals depicted in these works are a testament to their enduring essence, but more importantly, the power of their message of liberation, creativity, and Black brilliance. Similarly, my sculpture series "Louis Knapsack Where I'm Holding all the Work at" repurposes the clear backpack often used as a means to monitor Black youth on school campuses. In these works, the backpack becomes a mobile vitrine containing altars of power. By reworking oppressive measures, we showcase the indomitable spirit of Black culture and youthful dissent. Like seeds within a fruit, Afrotropes leave behind traces of themselves that germinate, grow, and expand our ways of seeing, being, and becoming. Throughout the drawings, paintings, and sculptures in this exhibition, I use Afrotropes as visual cues, affirming and signifying the vitality of Black existence. Despite attempts to deny and diminish Black being, Afrotropes serve as a reminder of our brilliance and resilience, proving that although they tried to bury us, they—and more importantly, we—didn't realize we were seeds.