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A seven-week exhibition of creativity in diverse styles just opened at Red Bull Arts in the Eastern Market area.
Its first artist residency exhibition of 2019 features works by Miatta Kawinzi, Tiff Massey and Patrick Quarm during the past three months. "From photographs of African-American hair salons to paintings on African-style fabrics produced in Indonesia, the works in this exhibition explore the artists’ own relationships to black material culture and physical space, and the resulting compound identity from their import and export," a news release says.
Tiff Massey, Patrick Quarm and Miatta Kawinzi (right) pose in the Eastern Market area.
(Photo: Red Bull Arts)
The resident artists received housing, studio space and $12,000 stipends. Their 11 works are on view through June 2 at 1551 Winder St. from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
A three-hour opening reception last Friday night drew several hundred guests, as snapped by Joe Gall for the noncommercial gallery. Also below are some of the new works on its walls, photographed by Clare Gatto.
But first, here's a bit about each young artist from the release:
♦ Miatta Kawinzi of Brooklyn, who's 31, displays one video projection and sound installation. "She works with images, objects, sound, space, the body and language." Kawinzi was born in Nashville to a Liberian mother and Kenyan father.
♦ Patrick Quarm, 30, was born in Sekondi, Ghana, and graduated in 2012 as a painting major from a university in his homeland. He also earned a master's of fine arts degree last year at Texas Tech University, where he was an adjunct instructor in painting and drawing. He displays nine mixed media works on African print fabric.
♦ Tiff Massey, 29, is from Detroit and has a master's in metalsmithing from Cranbrook Academy of Art. She fills several walls with a colorful, mixed-media work called "Proud Lady." Her African-inspired art includes large sculptures, jewelry, music and performance. The culture of 1980s hip-hop is a major influence in her wearable art, Massey says. This artist won a 2015 Kresge Arts in Detroit Fellowship is a two-time Knight Arts Challenge winner. "She uses contemporary observances of class and race through the lens of an African diaspora, combined with inspiration drawn from her experience in Detroit," the gallery handout adds.
See what's on display and what the first-night event looked like:
One of nine canvases on African print fabric by Patrick Quarm. (Artwork photos by Clare Gatto)
April 12 opening reception guests at "Allegory of the Other" by Patrick Quarm. (Event photos by Joe Gall)
"Libration," a video projection and sound work by Miatta Kawinzi, who also created the elastic and thread foreground frame.
Visitors at Tiff Massey's "Proud Lady." Materials include wood, cowry shells, plastic beads, wallpaper, neon and canvas.
Tiff Massey, right, greets opening night crowd at her "Proud Lady" installation.
Each "Upper Room" canvas is 46 inches by 32 inches.
