Project Overview
In 2022, Erin became one of the first Black women photographers to receive an art honorarium from the Burning Man Organization for a large-scale photography installation. That project became Black! Asé—a 30-foot dual-tower structure featuring immersive portraiture of Burners of Color. The installation was designed to command space, center joy, and hold reverence for identity and cultural power in the middle of the desert.
More than just art, Black! Asé was a sacred offering: a visual altar and meeting place where people gathered, reflected, and celebrated themselves and each other.
Strategic Influence
Black! Asé was born from the question: What does it look like to take up space unapologetically, joyfully, and with full spiritual presence?
Erin led a team of 40+ collaborators to bring this vision to life—overseeing concept development, creative direction, fundraising, fabrication, installation logistics, and on-site activation. The result was a monumental, interactive structure that redefined what “belonging” and “representation” could look like on one of the world’s most iconic creative stages.
The work
Project Type:
Immersive Public Art · Cultural Storytelling · Experiential Design · Large-Scale Photography
Roles & Services:
Vision + Concept Development
Creative Direction + Visual Curation
Team Leadership + Project Management
Fundraising ($200K+)
Fabrication Oversight + Build Logistics
Community Programming + On-Site Activation
Cultural Storytelling + Portraiture
30-foot interactive photo towers installed on the Playa
Portraits of 40+ Black and Brown Burners displayed
Team of 40+ artists, fabricators, architects, and creatives
Over $200,000+ raised through honorarium, partnerships, and individual donors
Thousands of visitors to the installations, including first-time Burners of Color
Sparked conversations across Burning Man and online about representation, visibility, and radical presence
More than 4 media outlet features
Inspired other BIPOC artists to build, lead, and create within the community
impact
impact breakdown
Results
Black! Asé was a statement, a sanctuary, and a symbol. It redefined how Black presence could be held and honored in public art—especially in spaces where we’ve historically been underrepresented. The project helped shift visual culture at Burning Man and left a legacy of space-making, affirmation, and visual sovereignty
