Our Day 1: EBONY commissioned Queen Loany to create a special collage in honor of the brand’s return on the start of Women’s History Month.
Hailing from Yonkers, New York but rooted and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina Saloan Goodwin, 35, AKA Queen Loany is certainly tapped in. Loany's latest creative path makes her a part of a long lineage of Black women utilizing collage as a medium to reveal layered, imaginative stories. That succession of badass creative geniuses that have changed the game: Simpson (Lorna), Walker (Kara), Roberts (Deborah), Mutu (Wangechi), and a plethora of known and unknown Black women artists before them.
As a new mother, Loany spent most of last year pregnant, and due to the Coronavirus pandemic, inside. But by winter, she recalls, "I was finally coming out of my shell, ready to create again. And I started creating in collages."
Of course, Loany isn't new to evolution or reimagining her artistry. As a photographer, her Black experience has always been the nucleus of her work. It's the beautiful space of the unknown that is exhilarating to Loany, and dwelling in it is her process. When asked about her creative technique she says “I kind of go with my heart. My gut actually tells me exactly what I need to be doing. And I pick those projects based on what that gut feeling is. I know when it's for me because I don't have to think about the yes.” And that's certainly the energy that needs to be kept for eternity, Black women continuing to trust themselves and their course.
If trusting in yourself is pivotal, then doing the work is certainly a prerequisite. Queen Loany isn’t lacking receipts by any means. She has collaborated numerous times with both stylist and creative director June Ambrose, and cultural worker, Yaba Blay founder of Professional Black Girl. And those are just some of the people who have championed Loany. The work she has done for #ToMaryWithLove, Mr. Soul, and Strong Black Lead have allowed her to play in public, and for that alone we give thanks. And though she is certainly discerning, the artist continues to say yes to new projects including a beautiful one for EBONY's Women's History Month coverage. Follow her on IG @queenloany
