Kat Thompson: Reclaiming Identity Through Art
This past August, at Chromophore Artspace in Richmond, VA, we had the profound pleasure of hosting the exhibition Emancipendence Exhibition, featuring an Artist Talk by Kat Thompson. The show ran from August 1–31 2025, and invited artists of Caribbean descent or with ties to the diaspora to engage with themes of freedom, decolonization, resistance, and cultural expression.
Kat’s participation added a deep and personal layer to the exhibition. Her work combines photography, textiles and assemblage to trace her journey as a Jamaican-American artist exploring cultural and familial memories and reclaiming identity.
Below, we reflect on highlights from the show key take aways from Kat’s talk.
Why Emancipendence?
The title “Emancipendence” evokes a dual meaning: the emancipation from historic oppression, and the ongoing claim to independence of identity, culture, and self-expression. The exhibition acknowledged the Caribbean diaspora’s legacies of enslavement and colonialism while celebrating resilient cultures and the contemporary expressions that arise from them.
In this context, Kat Thompson’s work resonated deeply: she situates her Jamaican heritage not as a footnote but as a vital source of inquiry, material, and empowerment.
Reclaiming Jamaican Identity Through Art
Kat Thompson is a multidisciplinary artist based in Virginia, working across photography, textiles, collage and installation. Born of Afro-Jamaican descent, her work interrogates the dualities of identity experienced by many immigrant families.
She uses personal and found materials to tell stories of migration, memory, and belonging. She consciously engages with her Jamaican heritage as both source and subject. At the Artist Talk, Kat spoke about how reclaiming her Jamaican identity through art means more than representation. She discussed how her family chose to assimilate deeply into mainstream American culture, leaving her feeling disconnected from both her Jamaican heritage, and Black American culture. Her use of textile fragments inspired by Jamaican craft and color palettes and family photos become conduits of memory, and form a sort of love letter to her parents reaffirming their Jamaican roots.
What We Take Away
• Identity is not just inherited but actively forged. Through Kat’s work we see that heritage can be reclaimed, not just remembered.
• Materials matter: The use of textiles, found archives, photography, collage speaks to how culture lives in everyday objects.
• Dialogue is essential: The Artist Talk underscored that art is not just made to be seen, but it invites conversation and connection.
• Liberation is a process: Emancipendence suggests freedom is not a one-time event but ongoing work.
Thank You & What’s Next
We thank Kat Thompson for sharing her time, work, and insights. We also acknowledge the many Caribbean diasporic voices in this show whose contributions made it richer.
As Chromophore continues to host exhibitions that center identity, and culture, we look forward to deepening those conversations and expanding our community of artists and audiences.
If you attended the exhibition or the talk, we’d love your reflections. What moved you, what are you still thinking about? Stay tuned for upcoming events in our fall and winter schedule where we continue the dialogue around identity, art and belonging.
