Interview: Damali Abrams on a Self-Love Triptych and the Healing Magic of Art

By Madeline Trice

Damali Abrams the Glitter Priestess is an artist, educator, and practitioner of folk medicine born and raised in Queens, NYC. In her own words, Abrams describes her artistic practice as “Interdisciplinary, pulling from Black feminist thought in order to create mixed media collage, handmade books, and community engagement. Black feminism is steeped in inclusivity and intersectionality. As a result, my work privileges various forms of knowledge, including traditional research, metaphysical practice, cultural heritage, and oral histories” (Abrams). Damali Abrams is one of the five artists in residence for AnkhLave’s 2024 Garden Project on Governors Island. She’s also a member of SEQAA (Southeast Queens Artist Alliance), and has been the recipient of numerous grants, residencies, teaching opportunities, and more. You can read more about some of her previous accomplishments on her website, or AnkhLave Art Alliance’s bio page for the 2024 Garden Project fellows.

(Trice) What’s the origin of the title “Glitter Priestess”?

(Abrams) The title Glitter Priestess refers to utilizing art as a healing modality and as a spiritual practice. Many years ago I read about ancient priestesses who utilized everything at their disposal for the purposes of healing-art, dance, music, plants, song, sexual energy, laying on of hands. It felt aspirational to me so I started referring to myself as a priestess. While taking a course on herbal medicine many years ago at the Open Center, I began to refer to myself as Herb Grrl in instructional videos as well as a column in my cousin Adana Collins’ independent magazine, Mahogany Blues. As editor-in-chief of Mahogany Blues, my title was Priestess of Content. As I got older, I felt less comfortable referring to myself as a girl in Herb Grrl, and graduated to Glitter Priestess with the assistance of my sister Abiola’s coaching sessions. I have always loved everything glittery and sparkly, which I have realized is inspired by my mom’s and aunts’ shiny gold home decor and sparkly sequined dresses.
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(Trice) It seems you draw inspiration from a number of different places. How has your Guyanese heritage and New York upbringing influenced your art?

(Abrams) My work is largely influenced by my Guyanese family, the large gatherings, the loving support, ornate decor, and sequined dresses worn by my mom and aunties. I am also very inspired by Afro-Caribbean folklore, folk magic and folk medicine. My DIY aesthetic is influenced by early Hip Hop cultural practices such as breaking on cardboard boxes, scratching records in order to invent a new sound, and spray painting art on trains and the bluntly cut and pasted 90s riot grrl zines.​

(Trice) You’ve done a lot to build up the art community in Queens, working with several organizations such as SEQAA (Southeast Queens Artist Alliance) and incorporating the city and its people into your art in works such as “A Brief People’s Art History of Southeast Queens.” How would you define your relationship to the city you’ve made your home and what impact do you hope to make through your work?

(Abrams) I love New York. It is one of my greatest inspirations. I hope that I can reciprocate that inspiration. The city continues to change so much and so rapidly. My intention is to create small time capsules in the form of mixed media collage, artist books, zines and video so that we know what existed besides the current gentrification. Simultaneously, it is impossible to honestly talk about gentrification without acknowledging the genocides that allow any of us to live on this land to begin with.

Southeast Queens Artist Alliance provides support to my personal practice and shares art with the local community. Like so many people in my area, I often felt like I needed to travel to Brooklyn or Manhattan for arts events. It is great to be plugged into this art community.

A Brief People’s Art History of Southeast Queens was published by Women’s Studio Workshop. It consists of oral histories recorded on zoom during the pandemic lockdown, as well as archival research. The local art legend Janet Henry shared some of her personal archive with me, as well. It barely scratches the surface since Southeast Queens has a rich history of art and a big thriving artistic community. What we need is more resources such as funding and space for artists.​

(Trice) In your piece “Blood, Coffee, & Tears,” you incorporated elements of your own body using menstrual blood, tears, and hair. Putting yourself in the piece this way is an incredibly intimate decision, and in your artist statement you mention that utilizing parts of the body is common in traditional spellcraft and folk medicine, but I’m wondering if there is a deeper significance or motivation behind your choice to use blood and hair. Can you speak on that?

(Abrams) "Blood, Coffee and Tears" is part of a self-love spell triptych. It is common practice to use a person’s hair in order to cast a spell on them or to heal them or send them energy. This practice inspires me to utilize my own hair for the purpose of healing and manifestation.

This is a piece about loving the shadow sides of ourselves, the things that we may hide from ourselves or others. Sadly, Black women’s hair remains a contentious issue, as is blood. So it feels very vulnerable using these very personal materials as art supplies.

(Trice) Looking back at the creation process for “Blood, Coffee, & Tears,” how did the element of sacrifice affect your relationship to the finished work as well as the artistic process, and how did the real physical consequences of cutting off your own hair affect you personally?

(Abrams) My locs break off all the time and I save them. It feels incredibly vulnerable, which is an ongoing theme in my work over the years. I feel very exposed, and nervous about what people’s reactions may be. All of the work that I am making right now feels necessary for the moment we live in. It’s bigger than me and my discomfort. 

(Trice) You use coffee stains in a number of your artworks. Is there a particular significance to the use of coffee to you and your practice? 

(Abrams) Coffee creates an aged look on paper. I use it on archival and contemporary documents in order to collapse time and show all moments in history as simultaneous. Coffee is also used metaphysically in order to speed up the outcome of a spell or manifestation.

(Trice) “Melting & Oozing & Dripping with Pleasure,” “Blood, Coffee, & Tears,” and “As Pink As Possible” all come together to form a triptych that you describe as a self-love spell. Would you say that the spell is more for yourself, the magic being in the cathartic act of creation, or is your intention more to enchant the beholder? 

(Abrams) Both. It is a self-love spell that I am casting on myself because for many years my internal self-talk was largely negative. That energy also flows out to the viewer if they are open to it.

If we all loved ourselves it would become much easier to love one another.

We are being brainwashed to hate ourselves and to believe that we are all each other’s enemies. What if we were all programmed to love ourselves and each other and to care for everyone’s well being including our own? What does that world look like?

That is the world I am working toward, starting with myself. I can be very judgmental and impatient with others (and myself) and I have a mean temper so it is an ongoing challenge. And I continue to work on it because it is urgently important.

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