On October 16, 2026, artist Adebunmi Gbadebo presented a talk titled “Buried Beneath the Clay” in the Beam Classroom. The event was covered by The Bowdoin Orient, which noted that Gbadebo’s presentation centered on the legacies of slavery and the concept of historical repair.

During the talk, Gbadebo explained her artistic practice of working with culturally and historically significant materials. She specifically mentioned three categories of matter: Black hair, plantation crops, and soil taken from burial grounds. Each of these materials was described as carrying direct connections to the histories of enslaved Africans and their descendants.

Gbadebo elaborated that Black hair serves as a personal and communal archive, reflecting identity, resistance, and cultural continuity. Plantation crops, such as cotton or tobacco, were referenced as tangible reminders of the labor economies that underpinned slavery. The soil from burial grounds was presented as a literal ground‑level link to the sites where enslaved people were laid to rest, emphasizing the physical presence of memory in the land.

By weaving these materials into her work, Gbadebo aims to foreground narratives that have been marginalized or erased. Her approach demonstrates how artists can engage with difficult pasts through direct, material‑based interventions rather than solely through representational imagery.

The Bowdoin Orient’s coverage highlighted the talk’s relevance for creators interested in material-driven storytelling and historical inquiry. Gbadebo’s session offered a concrete example of how specific substances can be employed to explore complex social histories while maintaining a focus on repair and acknowledgment.

Overall, the event underscored a growing trend among contemporary artists to use elemental, historically charged media as a means of confronting legacy issues and fostering dialogue about restitution and remembrance.