AFROFUTURISTA
by Kombo
The Former British Empire Several months ago I met someone at the Japanese Rock Garden in Castleberry. He described a sculpture he’d recently seen as ‘Afro-futuristic.’ His obvious excitement and the term itself piqued my interest instantly and got my mind racing. ‘What is that? Is that like sci-fi, or retro gone-neon? Does it have anything to do with light saber spears, please tell me it has nothing to do with light saber spears.’ I’m glad I talked to that guy, whose name I forget, because it was like finding something I didn’t really know I was looking for. It gave me great conceptual space to explore that I had (unknowingly) been exploring for years, without the compass of such a sharp term.
Afrofuturism is. We’re making it up in our lives and artful expression. What I love most about basing some work around this is that it’s dynamic because identities are always in flux. Zimbabwe won independence in 1980, the older generations, those who lived through the colonial era dubbed those born after 1980 the ‘Born Free,’ often in a dergatory tone or to imply we lacked the wisdom one can only glean from ‘having been there.’ It’s 2010, the people making things happen now, the young educated, motivated and ambitious crowd are mostly ‘born free’. They are also largely in diaspora and western-educated. Hopefully this line of works will progress naturally from the gross to the subtle.
Kombo Chapfika will be showing work at the FLUX group show at Ghostprint Gallery next week.
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FLUX, a diverse collection of work by emerging local and national artists including Kombo Chapfika (Atlanta), Jason Deganis (Buffalo), Eric Eaton (Richmond), Kevin Orlosky (Richmond) and Nicole Rosato (Boston) opens at Ghostprint Gallery on Friday, July 2nd and shows through July 31st.
Kombo Chapfika uses his work to reconcile the seemingly disparate elements of his upbringing in Zimbabwe with his experiences in America. His recent body of work is based on the notion of Afro-futurism, creating a new identity informed by the past, present, African and Western culture.
Jason Deganis is a printmaker who employs a variety of processes to create his strongly textural work including lithography, silkscreen and applied coffee pigment.
Eric Eaton is a multi-media artist and film-maker. He creates collages on small glass slides using various transparent materials.Initially created to be projected, for Flux they will also be shown as enlarged photographs.
Kevin Orlosky expresses his concepts of social responsibility and concern for humanity through his art. With thoughtful symbolism, he portrays the negative impact of man on nature and the seductive and misguided pursuit of the “American Dream.”
Nicole Rosato’s work currently involves her in the unending exploration of the human body. The series If you were a place you’d be…addresses the similarity between the lines on one’s body and the lines on a road map. Each work utilizes a map of the place chosen by the individual represented.
FLUX , the state of constant change in which all things exist.
AFROFUTURISTA
by Kombo
The Former British Empire Several months ago I met someone at the Japanese Rock Garden in Castleberry. He described a sculpture he’d recently seen as ‘Afro-futuristic.’ His obvious excitement and the term itself piqued my interest instantly and got my mind racing. ‘What is that? Is that like sci-fi, or retro gone-neon? Does it have anything to do with light saber spears, please tell me it has nothing to do with light saber spears.’ I’m glad I talked to that guy, whose name I forget, because it was like finding something I didn’t really know I was looking for. It gave me great conceptual space to explore that I had (unknowingly) been exploring for years, without the compass of such a sharp term.
Afrofuturism is. We’re making it up in our lives and artful expression. What I love most about basing some work around this is that it’s dynamic because identities are always in flux. Zimbabwe won independence in 1980, the older generations, those who lived through the colonial era dubbed those born after 1980 the ‘Born Free,’ often in a dergatory tone or to imply we lacked the wisdom one can only glean from ‘having been there.’ It’s 2010, the people making things happen now, the young educated, motivated and ambitious crowd are mostly ‘born free’. They are also largely in diaspora and western-educated. Hopefully this line of works will progress naturally from the gross to the subtle.
Kombo Chapfika will be showing work at the FLUX group show at Ghostprint Gallery next week.
—————————————————————
FLUX, a diverse collection of work by emerging local and national artists including Kombo Chapfika (Atlanta), Jason Deganis (Buffalo), Eric Eaton (Richmond), Kevin Orlosky (Richmond) and Nicole Rosato (Boston) opens at Ghostprint Gallery on Friday, July 2nd and shows through July 31st.
Kombo Chapfika uses his work to reconcile the seemingly disparate elements of his upbringing in Zimbabwe with his experiences in America. His recent body of work is based on the notion of Afro-futurism, creating a new identity informed by the past, present, African and Western culture.
Jason Deganis is a printmaker who employs a variety of processes to create his strongly textural work including lithography, silkscreen and applied coffee pigment.
Eric Eaton is a multi-media artist and film-maker. He creates collages on small glass slides using various transparent materials.Initially created to be projected, for Flux they will also be shown as enlarged photographs.
Kevin Orlosky expresses his concepts of social responsibility and concern for humanity through his art. With thoughtful symbolism, he portrays the negative impact of man on nature and the seductive and misguided pursuit of the “American Dream.”
Nicole Rosato’s work currently involves her in the unending exploration of the human body. The series If you were a place you’d be…addresses the similarity between the lines on one’s body and the lines on a road map. Each work utilizes a map of the place chosen by the individual represented.
FLUX , the state of constant change in which all things exist.
