Current Exhibitions

Strand Gallery
July 12 - October 5, 2025

Blya Krouba & Cat Martinez
Roots in Frame

Roots in Frame is an immersive installation by Blya Krouba and Cat Martinez that explores the West African origins of shotgun houses, highlighting the profound historical ties, architectural lineage, and cultural continuity of the African diaspora. Using photographs on organza fabric, Krouba creates a narrative of lived experiences of African and African American family life framed by a life-sized steel structure by Martinez that references the quintessential Southern vernacular style of architecture. The project collocates both voluntary and forced migration, showcasing how these histories shape community and identity. By blending traditional and modern elements, Roots in Frame celebrates the resilience and unity of African and African American cultures, creating a dialogue that explores cultural identity and family life across continents.

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1878 & Brown Foundation Galleries
June 14 - August 3, 2025

Kingsley Onyeiwu
Crowned in Contradictions

Crowned in Contradictions is an exploration of identity at the intersection of history, culture, and irony. Kingsley Onyeiwu’s exhibition navigates the layered complexities of Afropolitanism—where colonial legacies collide with contemporary expressions, and beauty is both a celebration and a critique. The figures within Onyeiwu’s works are adorned not just with crowns, jewelry, and fabric, but with symbols that challenge singular narratives about Africa and its diaspora. They are regal yet rebellious, occupying spaces where elegance coexists with defiance. Through towering forms, muted abstractions, and satirical undertones, this body of work asks: What does it mean to be crowned by histories we inherit, subvert, and redefine?

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