BlackPearl: Breathing Fire

The talents featured in this new edition of Container Talks don’t go unnoticed, and every step they take forward is a stride toward inclusion for many. We have brought these exciting and emerging faces into the spotlight, ready to reshape conventional narratives with a wave of queer culture. Young, bold, and unapologetically themselves, check out the Container Love editorial with BlackPearl.

Talent BlackPearl by Cameron Nedrick, Photography Christian Ruess and Anil Ayhan, Art Direction Yasmin Momodu, Production Container Love  

What is love to you?

Love is a feeling of being genuinely free and, at the same time, so full of a good emotion that it somehow brings up the energy to feel comfortable in the present moment. It is a state where time, space, and temperature cease to matter; what matters is what you are doing in this exact moment. For me, love is when you can be comfortable sharing, taking action, changing, respecting yourself and others, and making efforts to bring out the best in yourself or someone else. Trust in the journey, commitment, and knowledge—this combo brings the feeling of love, at least in me. Love involves transformation and is intangible—you can only feel it. It can be found in everything, everywhere, and in everyone. Love needs to be wanted. I can’t wholly define love because I’m still experiencing it in my own time and in my own way. Love can be singular and even better when it is shared among many.

Do you have a queer role model?

I look up to the people who are close to me as my role models. I am inspired by their stories of survival, resilience, creativity, and positive impact on the world and the people around them. I connect with those who have something to say and do not necessarily use their voice to express it. My source of inspiration comes from those I engage with, see, and share moments with. Among them, I find my queer friends to be the most inspiring, and they are my role models.

Tell us a secret about you!

If I tell you, it will not be a secret anymore.

Your message to the world?

Express yourself. You know this flame inside of you? Those flames may burn you at first, but afterward, they will set you free. Who knows? You know? We know? By being free in mind and soul, you set others free.

When do you feel the most seen?

Everywhere. Sometimes, I love the moments when I’m alone and do not feel constantly in the spotlight. But on stage, I feel liberated to open myself and share who I am.

What is your form of expression?

My form of expression takes many forms. Even through walking, I can express how I feel. I believe that movement is my primary form of expression. Through movement, I create dance, and with dance, I combine many forms to express what is inside of me and somehow materialize this: art.