Black & reflective

 

in-person & VIRTUAL solo Exhibition at XPACE

FEB-MAY 2021 — 303 Lansdowne Avenue, Toronto

 
 
 

concept

The impact of four conversations between friends or acquaintances from the African diaspora and myself, captured in an immersive oil painting installation.

As the works sequentially documented the expansion of my own understanding and complex feelings towards identity, the heart of the project became the importance of such personal exchanges in both forming and reflecting upon our own worldview – and ultimately, demonstrates the power of one conversation.

 
 
 
 

concept in Format

Each conversation is captured through both portraiture and landscape painting. Portraiture gives time for intimacy; connecting ideas of self to their relationship to Black identity, and Landscapes highlight the relationship between self-identity and how we navigate our environment.

 
 

the oil paintings

“Framing James”

A conversation with James Hewitt

Portrait of James Hewitt based on our conversation

Landscape painting of James Hewitt based on our conversation

 

“Like Oil & Water”

A conversation with Nyenye

Portrait of Nyenye based on our conversation

Landscape painting of Nyenye based on our conversation

 

Miss me with that bullish

A conversation with Quel

A triptych combining both landscape and portrait painting of Quel based on our conversation

 

“Am I Still Me”?

A conversation with Timothy

The portrait of Tim based on our conversation

The landscape painting of Tim based on our conversation

 

Installation DETAIls

 
 

virtual art exhibition

View the website created to accompany the physical install
with written and visual process documentation