The Art of Stephanie Dinkins

Topic: The Art of Stephanie Dinkins
Student name: Mak Hoi Ying
Student number: 60174231


Stephanie Dinkins is a transmedia artist from the United States whose work blends technology, storytelling, and social engagement. She is deeply interested in how artificial intelligence shapes social structures, especially in terms of gender and racial representation. She questions whether technology can truly reflect diverse cultures and works to create space for marginalized communities within tech narratives. Her art often draws from family memory and community experience, using technology to spark gentle yet profound conversations.

What draws me to Stephanie Dinkins is her focus on AI, gender, and equity. She doesn’t make cold, technical art—she uses technology to tell human stories, especially those that are often left out. She shows me that AI isn’t just code; it can carry memory, emotion, and culture. Her work makes me think: if tech is the future, how do we make sure everyone is seen and heard?




      Artwork 1: Not the Only One (2018)
Source:Not the Only One - STEPHANIE DINKINS  
This piece is a multigenerational archive of Black women’s memories. Dinkins interviewed three family members and trained an AI to speak from their oral histories. The AI doesn’t just answer questions—it speaks like an elder, sharing stories about family, faith, and culture.

When I first heard it speak, it didn’t feel like talking to a machine—it felt like listening to a relative. The slow pace, the pauses, the imperfect phrasing made it feel real. It reminded me of how my grandmother talks—gentle, rhythmic, and full of emotion.

Dinkins once said, “Our stories deserve to be recorded and respected by technology.” That really stuck with me. She’s not showing off tech—she’s using it to preserve emotion.




 Artwork 2:Conversations with BINA48 (2014–ongoing)  

Source:Conversations with Bina48 - STEPHANIE DINKINS



This is a series of video-recorded conversations between Dinkins and BINA48, a social robot modeled after a Black woman and developed by the Terasem Movement Foundation. She looks like a plastic bust, but her language abilities are surprisingly advanced

Their conversations are sometimes funny, sometimes confusing, but always sincere. They talk about family, faith, race, and emotion—like they’re building a real relationship. Dinkins said, “I have to give in to BINA48 and believe we can build a relationship like any two people might.”

It made me wonder—can we form emotional bonds with non-human beings? And do those bonds reflect our own desires and limitations?



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