What does “folklore” mean to us, the multi-racial nomads? When we migrate, what we are able to bring with us is a reduced version of our past. The “things'' that give us comfort once the border is crossed are mythologies, music, and fabrics that remind us of the warmth of our home. What stays with us is “contemporary folklore,” the way we build our lives carried by the rootedness of our body memory, whether lived or passed on through generations. Multi-racial people are constantly being asked “Where are you really from?” and their identity gets threatened. We keep perfecting the language we use to describe ourselves. It gets confusing at times, it gets easier with time. Contemporary folk is finding ways to feel 100/100–a concept introduced by artist Natalia Nakazawa. Being multi-racial does not mean we are 50% or less of each culture, it means we are 100% each culture. In Aoko—born away from home, seven artists who are either multi-racial or have multi-racial children, explore what it means to find your tribe, especially when you are “born away from home.”
Public Programs:
Opening Reception and Welcome by Isabel Umali
Thursday, September 19, 6-8 PM
An opening reception with an introduction by Isabel Umali, dance artist and embodied therapist. At 7pm Isabel will lead an introduction rooted in the body to invite sensorial awareness, ignite imagination, and interwoven thought. We can rest our conceptual understanding of what it means to "be multi-racial" and engage with the lived experience and expression of the artists.
Double Bass Performance by Kuba Dworak
Saturday, October 19, 5-6 PM
A solo concert with Kuba Dworak, the internationally acclaimed classically trained jazz double bassist from Poland. Kuba’s performance will anticipate his upcoming solo album that pays homage to his roots in Southeastern Poland through innovative solo double bass arrangements. Drawing inspiration from the traditional folk music of Małopolska and Podkarpacie, regions deeply connected to his family's heritage, Kuba blends folk melodies of his grandfather’s time with contemporary jazz interpretations. This autoethnographic work keeps memories alive, and elevates the rich and hyper-local cultural traditions to an international stage.
Catalog Launch & Panel Discussion
Thursday, November 7, 6-8 PM
An evening celebrating the catalog launch of exhibition Aoko–born away from home with a lecture and reading with author Oliwia Bosomtwe from her book Like the White Man. The Story of Poles and the Others. In her lecture, Oliwia will address the histories of the experiences of the Black minority in Poland and on Polish lands throughout history. The evening will conclude with a panel discussion moderated by curator Klaudia Ofwona Draber with exhibition artists: Oliwia Bosomtwe, Natalia Nakazawa, Coralina Rodriguez Meyer, and Hidemi Takagi.
Installation Photos by Argenis Apolinario
Event Photography by EFA Project Space
All photos courtesy of EFA Project Space
Hidemi Takagi, IDENTITIES, 2021 - ongoing, Installation, print on textile, Dimensions variable In the background, left to right: Coralina Rodriguez Meyer, Madrugada Nacimiento (Corona Santa) triptych, 2020, Chromogenic print on Hahnemuhle, 39.5 x 27.5 inches each; Natalia Nakazawa, A Soil Thick with Promise, 2023, Linen, paper, graphite, rhinestones, acrylic, and ink on wood panel, 80 x 60 inches; Renée Cox, Yo Mama in the Yard, 1993, Archival digital inkjet print on cotton rag, 72 x 48 inches
Left to right: Renée Cox, Yo Mamadonna and Child, 1994, Inkjet pigment print, 72 x 48 inches (unframed), 77 x 63 inches (wood frame); Hidemi Takagi, IDENTITIES, 2021 - ongoing, Installation, print on textile, Dimensions variable
Left to right: Oliwia Bosomtwe, Book: Like the White Man. The Story of Poles and the Others, 2024, Warszawa, Poland: W.A.B.; Keren Benbenisty, The Place where there is no echo (XII), 2019 - 2021, One from a series of 26 works on paper; mixed media Prussian blue pigment rubbed onto digital archival prints, orange peels, glue, 27 x 33 inches (framed); Keren Benbenisty, Verlan (Jaffa), 2020, Collage, a vintage jaffa orange wrap, repair tape, 14.63 x 14.63 inches (framed); Natalia Nakazawa, Poemas para Myriam / Poems for Myriam, 2021, Digitally printed fabric, cyanotype, inherited linens, 48 x 108 inches
Left to right: Natalia Nakazawa, Our Stories of Migration, 2017, Jacquard woven tapestry, yarn, 71 x 124 inches; Alex Mari, One-drop (threading piece), 2016, In-studio performance, 5 hour duration, four 5 x 5 inch performance photos, 13 x 9 inch performance photo, video with sound, 2:36 minutes; Coralina Rodriguez Meyer, Madrugada Nacimiento (Corona Santa) triptych, 2020, Chromogenic print on Hahnemuhle, 39.5 x 27.5 inches each; Natalia Nakazawa, A Soil Thick with Promise, 2023, Linen, paper, graphite, rhinestones, acrylic, and ink on wood panel, 80 x 60 inches
Left to right: Natalia Nakazawa, Poemas para Myriam / Poems for Myriam, 2021, Digitally printed fabric, cyanotype, inherited linens, 48 x 108 inches; Natalia Nakazawa, Poemas para Myriam / Poems for Myriam Part II, 2021, Digitally printed fabric, cyanotype, inherited linens, 38.8 x 37.5 inches In the background, left to right: Renée Cox, Yo Mamadonna and Child, 1994, Inkjet pigment print, 72 x 48 inches (unframed), 77 x 63 inches (wood frame); Hidemi Takagi, IDENTITIES, 2021 - ongoing, Installation, print on textile, Dimensions variable
Left to right: Alex Mari, One-drop (threading piece), 2016, In-studio performance, 5 hour duration, four 5 x 5 inch performance photos, 13 x 9 inch performance photo, video with sound, 2:36 minutes; Natalia Nakazawa, Visual Heteroglossia: Infinite Flooding, Infinite Burning, 2016, Jacquard textiles, digital collage, faux leather, vinyl, concentrated watercolor, and acrylic on wood panel, 40 x 30 x 2 inches; Coralina Rodriguez Meyer, Madrugada Nacimiento (Corona Santa) triptych, 2020, Chromogenic print on Hahnemuhle, 39.5 x 27.5 inches each; Natalia Nakazawa, A Soil Thick with Promise, 2023, Linen, paper, graphite, rhinestones, acrylic, and ink on wood panel, 80 x 60 inches
