Follicles | Cells | Biota

“Haitian-born ceramicist Morel Doucet’s series Follicles | Cells | Biota manipulates clay and color to examine relationships between descendants of the African diaspora and the physical environment, specifically drawing a parallel between the world’s dying coral reef systems and Global Black environmental vulnerability. Doucet argues that the current political climate has caused issues like racial discrimination and disenfranchisement, which pose the most apparent danger, to overshadow pressing problems posed by urban decay, pollution, Climate Change, and other conditions that contribute to the ecological instability and inviability.” - Curator & Writer, Niama Safia Sandy

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Through the medium of clay, Morel Doucet captures both beauty and anguish, reflecting on the intersections of race, environmental decline, and survival. By weaving together elements from land and sea, he amplifies the socio-environmental experiences of the African diaspora—particularly Afro-Caribbean communities—through ecological metaphors that address Black fragility, skin bleaching, and colorism.

Influenced by scientific research, environmental studies, and personal experience, Follicles | Cells | Biota explores the interconnectedness between living systems and their environments. The title evokes a delicate ecology of relationships, mirroring the complex and often precarious ties between communities of color and their physical surroundings. Through meticulous, labor-intensive ceramic work, Doucet parallels the fragility of coral reef ecosystems with the systemic vulnerabilities faced by Black populations.

Historically, people of color have been forced to confront immediate social and political threats—such as racial discrimination, segregation, and disenfranchisement—leaving environmental issues often overlooked. In many urban communities, environmental neglect manifests as crumbling infrastructure, toxic air from industrial pollution, and crowded, unsafe living conditions. In contrast, predominantly white suburban areas often enjoy green spaces, clean air, and well-maintained environments. Both coral reefs and Black communities suffer under the weight of environmental degradation, victims of systemic neglect and discriminatory policymaking.

Despite this landscape of adversity, Doucet finds beauty in vulnerability. His work reflects a belief that, like the world's dying reefs, there remains hope and resilience within Black communities. Follicles | Cells | Biota envisions an environmental renaissance—one where the African diaspora reclaims agency over their health, spaces, and future. Just as the world can unite to protect the Great Barrier Reef, so too can we rally to preserve and uplift Black and Brown communities, ensuring that survival is not the exception, but the standard.