Jesus Pieces

Growing up in the church, Shikeith was struck by the separation between the church’s teachings and the popular Black music played in his religious household. “[Aretha] Franklin is such a great example of a singer who was informed by the vocal formulations that emerged from the Black church while also being able to talk about all the things that were prohibited by the church,” he notes. Utilizing religious symbols and adopting the visual style of R&B album art, Shikeith bridges the idea of queer love and tenderness that is linked to both religion and music but is denied by both.