Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced 

From New York Times, 1962, James Baldwin

Ultimately, the exhibited works each attempt to cement the ephemeral, to both identify and make concrete that palpable and transitory feeling of developing individuality amidst the context of shared struggle, when passionate optimism and collective sense of purpose overcomes collective dread. Each artist interrogates these interstices, with their own proposition for a way forward. 

Delano Dunn both embraces and challenges the idea of “Black Utopia” - a time, place, and space in which America is an equitable and safe space for Black people, inspired by his childhood experience of the LA riots in the 1990’s. 

Bouvy Enkobo provides a glimpse into the inner sanctum of Kinshasa urban dwellers and their search of identity within the all consuming urban environment. 

Shepard Fairey investigates our endemic social issues, such as climate change and police brutality, attempting to elicit a collective sense of obligation.

Thameur Mejri attempts to deconstruct the relations of power and domination that structure contemporary societies, identifying in particular capitalism and the traditional ideologies that make them their instruments of control. 

Paul Onditi continues to challenge our understanding of both our cultural topography and the physical world within which we exist, addressing universal themes of pollution, climate change, fragmented and unequal societies, and the degradation of our natural planet.

Kate Simon provides a moment of reflection with intimate portraits of reggae legend Bob Marley, whose eponymous album was the inspiration behind “Catch a Fire,” harkening to the power of music to provide the soundtrack for navigating social justice. 

Beatrice Wanjiku’s vast canvases probe the human condition, delving into the psyche to question notions of reality and positionality to help us navigate in our social environment.