网红头条鈥檚 Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art Opens 鈥渰UNDER}flow鈥�

KENNESAW, Ga. | Aug 29, 2023

School of Art and Design鈥檚 Zuckerman Museum offers exhibition of work from Afro-Caribbean artists

网红头条鈥檚 Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art (ZMA), a unit of the School of Art and Design, is proud to present 鈥�{UNDER}flow,鈥� a new exhibition featuring the work of five internationally celebrated Afro-Caribbean artists. Curated by , Associate Professor of Fine Art and Director of Curatorial Affairs at the ZMA, the free exhibition runs Aug. 29 to Dec. 9. 

cynthia nourse thompson in black dress standing aginst grey background
Cynthia Nourse Thompson is an Associate Professor of Fine Art and Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Zuckerman Museum of Art.

Celebrating Afro-Caribbean Artists

On display at the Don Russell Clayton Gallery in the ZMA, the group exhibition鈥攁nd associated educational programming鈥攃elebrates the work of Josu茅 Azor, Firelei B谩ez, Mar铆a Magdalena Campos-Pons, David Antonio Cruz, and Didier William. Thompson states, 鈥淚t is my hope that introducing new regional audiences to these important contemporary artists will prompt valuable discussions regarding conceptions of history, cultural geography, race, gender, and identity.鈥� 

artwork of didier william, image of surreal characters under the water
Didier William, "Baptism: We Cannot Drown Nou Beni," 2022. Acrylic, ink, and wood carving on panel, 60 x 90 inches. Courtesy of Benjamin Blad.

Fluidity and Struggle
Underflow, another term for the word undercurrent, serves to metaphorically suggest underlying themes of fluidity and struggle. Examples of these themes include power and control, diasporic experiences, perceived histories, and sexuality. These themes often lie just below the surface鈥攂oth visually and conceptually鈥攊n the works presented, thus unifying them in compelling ways. 

artwork of woman by firlei baez
Firelei 鈥疊谩ez, "Fragrant with dawn and dew," 2018. Acrylic and ink on Yupo paper. 30 x 25 1/2 inches. Image courtesy of the artist and James Cohan, New York.

Personal Perspectives
Although these artists share mutual geography, each artist uniquely addresses their own personal affiliations with place and memory as presented through figuration, abstraction, and realism. Moreover, a shared interest in the representation of the body鈥攁nd the contentious relations it introduces between subject and power鈥攑ositions viewers to consider their own perspectives. This is particularly true when placed under the eye of a confrontational gaze.

Educational Programming
As part of the ZMA鈥檚 mission to offer educational programming, exhibiting artist David Antonio Cruz will present a lecture about his work on Sunday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m. as part of . The artist will speak about his artistic practices and discuss his paintings currently on view in 鈥渰UNDER}flow.鈥� Held in Morgan Concert Hall in the Bailey Performance Center, the lecture is free with registration. 

Closing Reception
A closing reception will be held on Sat., Dec. 9, 4-6 p.m. and is free with a simple .  The reception will also feature a live dance performance from 4-5 p.m. by students of Artistic Director and Associate Professor of Dance, , of Kennesaw State鈥檚 Department of Dance. Inspired by the works in the exhibition, the performance will be developed and choreographed over the fall semester. 

Learn more about the Zuckerman Museum of Art or the School or Art and Design. 

--Kathie Beckett

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