As the daughter of New York artists Lorna Simpson and James Casebere, Zora grew up in Brooklyn, where she learned to question and rebel against her situation as a young Black woman in the United States. Raised by a mother who marked her era with artworks in the form of manifestos that call out society’s treatment of different ethnicities and genders, Zora has a deeply ingrained taste for empowerment and transmitting positive vibes to all generations of Black women. She uses today’s most relevant form of communication, Instagram, to convey powerful messages with signature humor and panache. Inspired by her parents’ careers, she pursues art as well as theater, a discipline she once saw as reserved mostly for white people, until she discovered Lynn Nottage’s play By the Way, Meet Vera Stark while in high school. Since then she has participated in performances by Joan Jonas and appeared in the play They Come to Us Without a Word II in 2016. She is also involved with Katie Cappiello and Meg McInerey’s play SLUT, which denounces sexual assault and the slut-shaming that goes along with it. What does the future hold for Zora Casebere? None can say. At eighteen, she is studying history, Black culture in America, and theater, and has certainly not uttered her last word as a voice of her generation…

How is your mother an inspiration to you?

Truly in a million ways. Right now, I am learning from her attentiveness to feeling. Watching her paint this past month for her upcoming show, I have had the opportunity to witness how in touch she is with herself, her gut, her desires. That close relationship she’s created between her intuition and creative production is special to me. She brings that attention to intuition everywhere. And I think, as much as she leads with strength, that that’s actually a really vulnerable way to be in the world. I am learning from that right now.

Miu Miu – leather coat and lace shirt

You have acted in plays and have participated in performances by Joan Jonas. What gave you the will to start performing? Is theater something you want to pursue?

My mother always tells this story, that at four years old I was directing her, insisting that she memorize and follow a prescribed dialogue while playing with my dolls – I’ve had the will as long as I can remember. I think all of my pursuits are informed by my attraction to storytelling. Acting has always fascinated me as an intimate opportunity to learn about myself, to get to know myself (and hopefully ultimately others) better.

You use Instagram as a means of communication of strong ideas, as well as a gallery of art inspirations. How has Instagram impacted your life and how do you use it intelligently?

As I have grown into myself, the way that I engage Instagram has shifted drastically. While once I really allowed it to feed my anxiety, I am learning now that I can choose to engage it in ways that serve me. It’s a learning process for me, but on a day to day, put simply – I just do my best to be honest about who I am and what I desire. Part of that is about being okay with making mistakes, or being okay with being judged. Knowing that once you put something on the internet, its there forever – oftentimes i feel overwhelmed by a perfectionist anxiety. I am teaching myself that all I need to do is be true to who I am in that particular moment. While I very well may not hold the same opinions in a year that I espouse online today, I think honesty about the evolution of self and one’s thoughts, is important. I try to allow my vulnerability to translate online which is weird and perhaps counterintuitive. But I think, for me, its a healthy exercise in self-trust.

I try to curate it to be a well of inspiration, I mean this in really simple ways, by following people that truly inspire me or make me curious. It’s also an interesting way for me to play with boundaries of personal and public. And it can be really tricky in that sense, alerting me to the parts of myself that I am afraid of or inclined to suppress or hide.

Miu Miu – lace dress and coton tank top

Art seems to be at the center of your life, do you think of becoming an artist yourself?

Yes

Does art have to be political to have meaning?

Because art informs and is informed by the world in which we (artist and audience alike) inhabit, I see art as inseparable from politics. I believe that the lens with which I approach any work is entirely shaped by my personal history, politics, beliefs and experiences. I think what I am saying is that art is always personal, and the personal is always political.

Miu Miu – lace dress and coton tank top / artwork by Lorna Simpson

Do you still feel like the art world is dominated by men today?

On one hand, yes. On the other hand, no, not the art world that I choose to inhabit. An art world dominated by men, or white people for that matter, is not the art world that I want to live in. There is an infinitude of art by people of color, queer people, and women. I make the conscious decision to seek out and surround myself with that work.

What is next for you?

I just finished my first feature film, Ladyworld, directed and written by Amanda Kramer which is scheduled to be released in September of 2018. It was an incredible experience with an ensemble cast of eight young women. Right now, I am pursuing acting in film.

Do you feel a revolution is still to come? Has it already started?

I know we are not starting from scratch. Honestly, the revolutions I identify with began with slave rebellions in the Americas in the early sixteenth century, moving from Santo Domingo in 1521 to Haiti in 1791. These efforts are reshaped and expanded by a multitude of people, from Audre Lorde and Pearl Primus, to Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, Patrisse Cullors, and Ava DuVernay. I am just getting to know the work of Gloria E. Anzaldúa. I think of oppression as a shapeshifter and I know that what we are currently facing is not new.

Miu miu – macramé skirt and top, coton tank top

Miu Miu – lace skirt, cotton tank top

Interview by Alice Butterlin

Photographer: Hans Neumann

Stylist: Esther Matilla

Make-up: Akiko Owada

Hair: Takashi Yusa

Photography assistant: Kyle May