“With every problem, chances are there’s already some Black people who are thinking about this, who are working on this, know how to do it, and just we have not asked them,” Darke said. And recruiting for the project was as much about finding ways to support talent as it was finding those qualified to participate. (Images courtesy of source)įor Darke, the solution is to have Black artists create their own people’s looks. Two of 3D artist HD Harris' submissions for the Open Source Afro Hair Library.
Monster Hunter World players didn’t see any Black hairstyles added to the game until the release of a paid expansion nearly two years after its initial release. Japanese developed games released in the U.S., like Capcom’s Monster Hunter World, have fared much worse, with some titles ignoring the existence of textured hair altogether. “There is no real in-between where you showcase that stuff working really well, where you do that zoom in and you get the textures and things that you’d want to see on these characters.” “It’s either very high, puffy, and tight, or it’s weird succubus dreads,” Adams said. Black players looking for anything that’s not cornrows, dreads, or an afro are typically out of luck unless they want go with a racially ambiguous buzz cut or a bald head. In games like the Elder Scrolls series, Destiny, and other non-NBA sports video games like the WWE 2K series, Black hairstyles feel like an afterthought thanks to absurdly limited options, if any exist at all. Two of 3D artist Keneisha Perry's submissions for the Open Source Afro Hair Library. “I want to create a space that's open for all Black folks to have this conversation about what we want this to be.” “All of us can be caretakers, all of us can be stewards, all of us can look at the work and think about how to use it ethically and point out unethical practices,” said Darke, 36, who teaches Digital Arts, New Media, and Performance Play and Design. The library, slated to launch on Juneteenth 2023, will function as a source for usable 3D assets for gaming, animation, and other ventures as well as an online gallery to inspire and normalize Black inclusion.īy recruiting all Black artists and making the database free, Darke plans to create an anti-racist, anti-capitalist, and feminist approach to the portrayal of Black hair as well as a sense of unified ownership and investment in how the hairstyles are used. She started recruiting Black artists for the Open Source Afro Hair Library, the industry’s first free database of 3D-modeled Black hairstyles.
Last year, Oakland-based artist and UC Santa Cruz assistant professor A.M.
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