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Black Being
Project type
Exhibition
Date
November 10, 2023 - January 6, 2024
Location
Charlotte Street Gallery (Kansas City, MO)
Additional Exhibition Materials
Featured Artists
Abby Oyesam, Amani Lewis, André Ramos Woodard, Basil Kincaid, Brian Ellison, Dawn Okoro, Derrick Adams, glyneisha, Kevin Hopkins, London Pierre Williams, Nehemiah Cisneros, rachel j. atakpa, Ronald Jackson, Tokie Rome Taylor, and William Toney
This exhibition ignites complex conversations about Black exceptionalism and cautions that the phrase “Black Excellence”, when used unironically, perpetuates the false idea that Black normalcy is inadequate, and disregards the inherent value of Black life.
Black Being purposely excludes struggle and oppression as a glorified subject matter of Black-created artworks in favor of an exhibition where Black people can just be. The fifteen Black artists featured in this exhibition explore a wide range of themes that give testament to the extensive ethnography of Black culture.
An interactive component to this exhibition included an iteration of Journey to Softness (The Barbershop Series), a performance facilitated by Houston-based artist Brian Ellison.
The performance served as an invitation to receive a haircut, free of charge, in the gallery space. Journey to Softness is a living testament to how the seemingly mundane elements of Black culture are actually foundational ritualistic practices that–when placed in a traditional “white cube” gallery space–expand the definition of what an artistic practice looks like.
