Hot Comb: The Masquerade

DIRECTOR
Karen Seneferu is one of the most thought provoking visual artists of our time. Born and raised in Oakland California, her childhood was fed by revolutionary politics and the Black Panther Party’s free breakfast program.

She earned a B.A. in English from the University of California at Berkeley and has dedicated her life to working as an educator and artivist. Self taught in her artistic craft, Senefuru is obsessed with gathering information, imagery and ideas. As a result, her work contains a completeness that belies her brief tenure as a multimedia artist. Using natural and manufactured materials she boldly examines the ancient and contemporary, turning modern objects into artifacts. This Afrifuturistic aesthetic provides a curative intersection between technological and the spiritual.

Senefuru’s is grounded in the philosophy that space has hidden meaning. Therefore, her work seeks to enter into and transform the meaning of space.

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Bay Area based Photographer Idris Hassan, began her journey as the family photographer preserving precious life moments. In 1994 while studying Photo Journalism in college she won an award for a emotionally stunning photo entitled “Dead Homies”, which pictures a young man overlooking an East Oakland Cemetery. The photograph, a commentary on the countless young men losing their lives to drugs and violence in the 1990's Urban Landscapes, was a catalyst for Ms. Hassan's entry into the field of Photography and Media.

In her evolution as a documentarian she has traveled across the county and abroad capturing the visual essence of various communities. Her photography and collages reveal the worlds of artists, musicians, families, and highlights the legacy of culture.

Her style carries the inspiration of greats such as Gordon Parks, Romare Bearden, and Carrie Mae Weems. Her photography and collage work have been featured in the “Black Artists on Art” Legacy Exhibit at Oakstop Gallery, the Annual “Art of Living Black” Exhibition at the Richmond Art Center, the “Oakland Women's Day” exhibition at Betti Ono Gallery, Afro Solo's "Reflecting the Light Series" at the San Francisco Public Library, and at various exhibitions in the Bay Area. Ms. Hassan's work has also been featured in the Summer 2015 issue of “African Voices”, a Collection of Soulful Art and Literature.

Idris Hassan is the Creative Director of Chocolate Beats Media, which was founded in 2009 to provide down to earth radio programming, innovative cultural event documentation, and a holistic digital media experience. She is the Producer and Host of Chocolate Beats Radio on KPFA 94.1 FM, which features music and artist interviews. She has produced and aired audio projects including news segments, PSAs, interviews, and feature stories highlighting guests such as Actor and Activist Harry Belefonte, Singer Marie Daulne of Zap Mama. Hip Hop Artist Medusa, and “Funk Jazz Cafe” creator Jason Orr. She is also a Videographer and Digital Media Editor.