COMPANY INTRODUCTION

Owner story

A Buba Creation is the studio wonderland of Beyonce “Buba” Armstrong’s productions. The work includes paintings, sculptures, jewelry, sneakers, clothing, toys, installations, poetry, and many more. Beyonce is a native Brooklyn artist bridging the gap between pop culture and the art world. Her work intends to shock audiences with authenticity and accessibility where the art world prospers on its exclusive identity. The implications of class division and the historical exclusion towards artists of color have contributed to detached sentiments about art organizations. Feelings of otherness and misplacement often become prevalent within traditional spaces. In the search to break down the restrictive walls of art institutions, she creates work meant to reach the general public by representing ordinary people in the working class. Her goal is to transform art spaces into safe communities which can serve as historical education and cultural entertainment.

Beyonce Armstrong was born and raised in Bedstuy, Brooklyn to a single teen mom in the 2000s. Her experience growing up in a low income community has rooted strong values in perseverance, resourcefulness, and accessibility as it relates to themes of culture, class, and evolution. Feelings of pride can stem from being raised in a community where prominent figures such as Biggie, Lil Kim, Busta Rhymes, Jay Z, Chris Rock, Lena Horne and Jackie Robinson have served as inspiration. With Bed-Stuy’s harsh reputation, one must have the tenacity and hustle mentality to make it out of the "Do or Die” district. These figures have shown Beyonce that it can be possible to reach your full potential despite one’s adversity. Thus the hustle began. The lack of resources have translated to unconventional ways of approaching art. Interests in found materials and everyday subject matter inspired Beyonce to take references from pop culture and urban lifestyle to create pieces representative of her observations and experiences. Aspirations of global recognition and widespread support of community consciousness has encouraged ambitious projects that question conventionality. 

Origins

The natural progression of one’s mind from adolescence to adulthood was exaggerated during her time in college. In 2018, she attended the most prestigious art school, the Rhode Island School of Design, on a full scholarship where she immediately became aware of the cultural differences of living in a predominately black community to a PWI. Themes of mental health, identity, and consciousness were topics that were tackled during her years away from home. Simultaneous events such as the Coronavirus lockdown and the Black Lives Matter movement forced Beyonce to enter a new stage of enlightenment as it relates to her understanding of blackness and progression. The forced isolation drove many people into a spiritual journey as they had to deal with internal affairs like healing one’s inner child, reevaluating taught mindsets, and having a better understanding of self. Matters of afro-futurism were approached through a regressive lens to signify the parallels of past and future normalcy. One’s childhood upbringing, specifically within the Black American experience, presented as a great area to tackle.

Thus HOOD BABIES were born.