Dominique London

Dominique London is a multi-disciplinary artist hailing from west Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is an emcee, photographer, actress, and songwriter. ​As early as 14 years old, London began writing songs and was entered into the source magazine's unsigned hype contest. she later went on to write music for Netflix, and Hulu and has streaming on the world-famous wake-up show on Sirius satellite radio. 

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Dominque received her formal education from Rosemont College, where she received a bachelor's degree in English literature and communication. she also holds a master's degree from temple university and is pursuing a second master's in ayurvedic and integrative medicine. 

Dominique has spent a significant portion of her life doing community organizing which has yielded housing legislation in Philadelphia.

 

Her most recent work, “I’m not ok,” is a photography series that directly challenges James Marion Sims’ school of thought that black bodies do not feel pain.

Dominique London, the artist, and subject of this series, documents her personal journey of living with Chronic pain for the past seven years, navigating the medical system, and finding and creating healing modalities aside from allopathic medicine. In an age of perfection-seeking through filters and editing apps, London uses film to humanize bodies in pain in her portraits. 

 

“I’m not ok,” is a provocation to the Medical Industrial complex that is underscored by America’s racist structures and systems. These are evident in how pain in black bodies is disbelieved by medical professionals.

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Photography  by Senia Lopez

Digital collage by Makeba Rainey