THE UNAPOLOGETIC ART EXHIBIT
Saturday evening was an important night for black artists, in a safe and welcoming space hosted by Kiana Calder and Tyrone Smith at Crossing Street Gallery in Chelsea. The duo have a podcast and this expo was their third one so far.
Entering the space my friend and I were greeted by Tyrone who had a radiant and sincere disposition. Immediately after speaking to him we were introduced to one of the artists of the night Kenneth Picasso who goes by Art Monster. Hailing from Pennsylvania, his work shows a style that gravitates towards pushing boundaries and mixing mediums. Most of his inspiration comes from traveling from cities like Miami to Cuba and using his platform to inspire other young up and coming artists.
JOMARI PEREZ ON LEFT AND SHAVON WILKINS ON RIGHT.
After speaking to Art Monster himself, we met Shavon Wilkins a young artist from Long Island, NY. Her pieces evoked a dream like quality of textures and colors. One of her pieces, “Transfer” is made out of plaster, rocks found on the beach, and acrylic. It relayed an image of growth, discovery of identity and the power of the past on future consciousness. Wilkins described these pieces as her coming to understand her connection to water. As a young girl, she nearly drowned three times, impacting her relationship to bodies of water, explored through her series.
Moving further towards the gallery was work by Stacie Monday, a self taught artist from Tulsa, OK. Monday discussed her work reflecting her journey in stripping away the branding of her identity as a black woman but more towards identifying parts of herself as Native American. Debunking those stereotypes to offer herself a different narrative rather than being conditioned to classify herself as a black woman. Mondays work tells a story of movement through the details of paint dripping down the canvas and delicately painted faces of woman with backdrops of mountains and using stamps as part of the composition.
STACEY MONDAY ON RIGHT AND KIMBERLY FIELDS ON LEFT.
Leaving the exhibit, I felt a sense of community and gratitude to have met the talented artists claiming their well deserved spot in the art world. It left me with this desire to see more artists of color represented in a world that is monopolized by white elitists and to show my support through spreading the word about the importance we play in projecting their work whether by purchasing pieces or posting them on social media. Everyone plays a part in the dialogue of inclusion and we can make these exhibits more available if we show up for our community. Here’s a small interview with Kiana the organizer and her words about what The Unapologetic Exhibit means to her.
TYRONE SMITH ON LEFT AND KIANA CALDER ON RIGHT.
Are there any pieces of art you own that you’re incredibly attached to?
I own a painting by Kenneth Picasso aka the Art Monster. He’s been apart of our art show twice. The painting is called Mr. Wendell. It’s such a captivating piece because it demonstrates the different layers of a person. It resonates with me because there are so many layers to me as a person. I’m still discovering other aspects of myself.
What importance do you think seeing an art from black artists in a space like that means for the community?
It’s important to see art from Black artists in these spaces because representation matters. Especially when these artists come from urban areas that may lack resources and accessibility and they’re able to beat the odds and come out on top. It’s a beautiful thing to see and we need to see more of it!
NYC is the mecca of the art world, but often selects few artists of color to be the purveyors of the art scene? The most spoken about and legendary artist discussed was Jean-Michel Basquiat and even then riddled with Warhol stealing much of the light. How do you feel about this?
In regards to Warhol overshadowing Basquiat’s light, I’m not surprised by that. They had a very interesting dynamic as artists and collaborators. I will say that we’re very intentional with ensuring that the Unapologetic Art Expo is meant for Black and brown artists. It is imperative that they’re able to shine in this moment and not be overshadowed by their white counterparts.
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