A look into the Black Spectrum exhibition.

April 7th – April 28th 2021

A contemporary exhibition inspired by the legacy of the black arts movement

“This feels like my debut in the LA art scene, being new to the west coast. I portray heavily textured abstract artwork, showing a different side to black art and artistry. The range of styles displayed really gives you a visual representation of the diaspora!”

Imani Aaliyah (Featured Artist)

Featuring a phenomenal range of the Black Spectrum are the following artist: Afrofutrist collagist Jessi Jumanji, oil painter Kennedy Ringgold, illustrator/designer Kyndall Carter, surrealist painter Isis Dua, abstractionist Imani Aaliyah, and mixed media collagist Dorcas Thete, colorful oil painter Olivia Davis, and mixed media artist/designer Ahmari Benton.

Aziz Gallerie in partnership with Broccoli City Lifestyle Group brings you a contemporary group show. Using inspiration from art historian Dr. Kellie Jones’s South of Pico text: “in their (Black artist migrating to California in the ’70s) deflection, are aesthetic markers imagining types of connection and activist practice that lie beyond the gaze of dominant power, yet in plain view.” Black Spectrum explores these markers through the concept of the light waves. Within the light, spectrum are full ranges of color and waves of light that are not visible to the human eye, yet always thriving (ex: ultraviolet, infrared, and radio waves). This group of thriving artists encompasses a range of blackness and mediums that may not always be visible to the mainstream art world. Black Spectrum gives art collectors and the public an exclusive glimpse at 8 unique aesthetic markers now in “visible light”. Curated by artist James “Jupiter” June.

“It’s an absolute honor to be in my first art show within my community — all Black femmes in a Black-owned gallery. Art is not only a means of self-expression but a way for me to breathe a little easier in a world that seems to suffocate my/our existence. Collage-making specifically is an assemblage of God’s magic – and I am just the puppet making it happen. Gratitude to the artists that came before me — Romare Bearden is the reason why I started collage making, Basquiat fortified me to discover royalty in my work, and Wangechi Mutu inspired me to be limitless.”

Dorcas Thete (Featured Artist)

Programming for this exhibition includes:

●  April 9th, 6pm-11pm – Opening Reception

●  April 10th – 25th -Virtual Weekend Artist Talks

All events are FREE and open to the public virtually and at 25% capacity in the gallery. Please reserve your visit timeslot or event rsvp via AzizGallerie.com

Check out the GUAP Arts & Culture section, to discover new art, film, and creative individuals.