Human Tapestry: Kareem-Anthony Ferreira, Jerrell Gibbs, Riley Holloway, Collins Obijiaku, Patrick Quarm, Raelis Vasquez

Bode is pleased to present Human Tapestry, a group exhibition of Kareem-Anthony Ferreira, Jerrell Gibbs, Riley Holloway, Collins Obijiaku, Patrick Quarm, and Raelis Vasquez, capturing the complexity of humanity and personality, as well as questioning subjective perception through wide-ranging portrayals and social sketches of everyday Black life. 

 

As true manifestation of figurative art, the show investigates the cultural heritage of Black communities across the globes, uncovering the complexities of human nature and exploring the wide palette of human emotions. The artists catch their characters – friends, family, or strangers, – in moments of peace, rest, joy, sadness, pain, self-reflection, and solitude, which makes them both authentic and truthful. All the protagonists are depicted with a tenderness and intimacy, allowing the viewers to enter their inner world, meet their inner character. Inspired by the traditions of Realism, Surrealism, Expressionism and Op Art, the works present an incredible mixture of various forms and vibrant colors, rich in drama, culture and history. Moreover, through their oeuvre, the artists address the problem of subjective perception and challenge stereotypes and misconceptions around Blackness.

 

While Riley Holloway blurs boundaries between softness and masculinity, creating the image of a strong powerful woman, visually emphasizing it with a muscular athletic body constitution, Jerrell Gibbs combats the misrepresentation and stereotypes that often are associated with the black male figure,  depicting them with contrasting symbolism and gives the viewer the opportunity to engage with intimacy and vulnerability. Kareem-Anthony Ferreira’s social imaginaries, taken from the Caribbean surroundings and placed in the non-indigenous context, are meant to be easily identifiable, cliché, and at times, sarcastic. With his expressionist portraits of Black men and women, gazing directly and boldly at the viewer, Collins Obijiaku creates intimate records of his home and surrounding community, aiming to memorialize their emotions and inner states. Patrick Quarm analyzes the life of the contemporary African, including the continuous evolution of ones personality, being exposed or immersed in a new social environment, by incorporating intriguing and bold colors and patterns into his work, which are deeply rooted in his culture. Raelis Vasquez turns his memories and emotions in tender and sincere paintings of Afro Dominican life. His compelling works executed in warm and welcoming colors depict everyday scenes from his homeland, whether it's lively gatherings on the market or an intimate moment of immersion in a book, simultaneously presenting the artist’s intellectual and emotional investigation of his own identity as an immigrant.

 

All together it’s a bright colorful “Human Tapestry“, exploring the many faces and facades of our multifaceted community. Thousands of tapestry threads, interwoven with each, stand for thousands of personal stories of our surroundings and ourselves. Undoubtedly individual, they are still intertwined and interconnected, resulting in a diverse collection of unique, yet truly complimentary artworks.

 

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Kareem-Anthony Ferreira (b. 1989, Hamilton, Ontario, CA) completed his BFA at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, CA and his MFA at the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, US. Ferreira’s work has been featured in solo exhibitions at Towards Gallery, Toronto, CA, at Nino Mier Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US, at Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, CA, at Johannes Vogt Gallery, New York, NY, US, at Alice Yard Gallery, Port of Spain, TT, at the Tucson Museum of Art, AZ, US, and at the Workers Art & Heritage Museum, Hamilton, ON, CA. The artist was granted Helen Gross Scholarship Award and AWA/Del Decil Scholarship Award, as well as participated at the Emerging Artist Residency at Centre3, Hamilton, ON, CA. Ferreira’s works are part of the Rennie Collection, Vancouver, BC, CA. The artist lives and works in Hamilton, Ontario, CA.

 

Jerrell Gibbs (b. 1988, Baltimore, MD, US) received his MFA from the LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting, Baltimore, MD. Gibbs’ work has been featured in solo exhibitions at Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, Paris, FR, at Dovecote Café, Baltimore, MD, US, and at The Galleries at CCBC, Dundalk, MD, US. Gibbs participated in group shows at Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Columbus Museum of Art, Baltimore Museum of Art, Banneker-Douglas Museum, among others. The artist was granted Rosenthal Family Foundation Award in Art, Leslie King-Hammond Award, and Roberta Polevoy Award, as well as participated at Mare Residency program, Baltimore, MD, US. Gibbs’ works are in the permanent collection of US Capitol, Washington, DC, Baltimore Museum of Art, Columbus Museum of Art, Los Angeles Museum of Art, CC Foundation, and X Museum Beijing. The artist lives and works in Baltimore, MD, US.

 

Riley Holloway (b. 1989, Los Angeles, CA, US) attended The Art Institute of Dallas and the Florence Academy of Art, where he focused on traditional drawing and oil painting techniques. Holloway’s work has been featured in solo exhibitions at African American Museum, Dallas, TX, US, at Bloom Galerie, Geneva, CH, and at First Amendment Gallery, San Francisco, CA, US. The artist has participated at AKAA Art Fair, and at Cape Town Art with Bode. His works are in the collections of the University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, US, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, US, and Dean collection, among others. The artist lives and works in Dallas, TX, US.

 

Collins Obijiaku (b. 1995, Kaduna, NG) has spent the last twenty years living in Suleja, a small town in Nigeria, famous for its great pottery tradition. Obijiaku developed his practice as a self-taught artist and uses an array of materials within his compositions, often mixing oil, acrylic, and charcoal to achieve soft gradients, strong textures, and precise line work. Obijiaku’s work has been featured in solo exhibitions at Luce Gallery, Turin, IT, Roberts Projects, Los Angeles, CA, US, and at ADA Contemporary Art Gallery, Accra, GH. In 2020, Collins Obijiaku was an artist-in-residence at Black Rock Senegal, Dakar, SN. The artist lives and works in Abuja, NG. 

 

Patrick Quarm (b. 1988, GH) graduated from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GH with a BFA in Painting and received his MFA from Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, US. Quarm’s work has been featured in numerous exhibitions including Ross+Kramer Gallery, New York, NY, US, Trout Museum of Art, Appleton, WI, US, Kunstraum Potsdam, Berlin, DE, K.N.U.S.T Museum Kumasi, GH, and the Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts, Grand Rapids, MI, US. His work is held in several collections which include the Syracuse University Museum, Syracuse, NY, US, Kalamazoo Institute of Art, MI, US, and Kemper Museum, Kansas City, MO, US. Patrick Quarm has participated as an artist-in-residence at the Red Bull Artist Residency, Detroit, MI, US and was awarded the NXTHVN Fellowship 2021-2022. The artist lives and works between Ghana and the USA.

 

Raelis Vasquez (b. 1995, Mao Valverde, DO) received his BFA in Painting and Drawing. from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL, US and his MFA in Painting and Drawing from Columbia University, NY, US. Vasquez’ work has been featured in solo exhibitions at Sakhile & Me Gallery, Frankfurt, DE, De Buck Gallery, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, FR, New Image Gallery, West Hollywood, CA, US, at Superposition Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US, and at Latchkey Gallery, NY, NY, US. The artist has participated at Mare Residency Program with MICA, Baltimore, MD, US, and has been awarded with Odyssey Travel Grant, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, as well as with John W. Kurtich Foundation Scholarship, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, US. Raelis Vasquez lives and works in NJ/NYC, US.