UTA Artist Space is proud to announce the upcoming opening of “We Insist Upon Ourselves in Perpetuity Throughout the Universe”, a dual exhibition from the creative minds of April Bey (@aprilbey_ ) and Kim Dacres (@kim_bo915 ) opening in Atlanta on June 14.
Featuring Bey’s vibrant, richly layered multimedia works and Dacres’ transformative sculptures made of found tires, the exhibition brings together the two artists, bonding over three key ideas: the wonder and beauty of Black queer folks and women, the legalese fluency needed to be a successful artist in the creative industry, and a love of reading magical stories where individuals are gods unto themselves.
The two artists began with the legend of Anansi, the mythical shape-shifter and trickster. Bey and Dacres also drew inspiration from Mami Wata, the mythical mermaid of West African and Caribbean lore. Their work culminated in an activation hosted by UTA Artist Space Atlanta in the summer of Beyoncé 2023, generating reference photographs that would inform both artists’ respective bodies of work for the exhibition, firmly rooting “We Insist Upon Ourselves In Perpetuity Throughout the Universe” in the beautiful and magical presence of the people of Atlanta.
Please join us for the opening reception on Friday, June 14 from 7-9PM, featuring wine selections from IBest Wines (@ibestwines ).
📸: Curtis Bryant (@iamcurtisbryant )
UTA Artist Space is thrilled to announce “Ruler of the Tides” by Sasha December, opening next Friday, May 31st, in Los Angeles with an opening reception 6-8PM! 🌙
The centerpiece of this exhibition is, “It’s always been known,” which explores a celestial being experiencing the tug-of-war of human life and harnessing the power of autonomy to navigate the world. This work evokes a profound sense of fluidity, capturing the essence of navigating life’s turbulent waters with grace and adaptability.
_____
Sasha December
It’s always been known, 2024
Oil on canvas
21 x 18 in.
‘Those Were The Days’ is an exploration of childhood memories juxtaposed against today’s backdrop, creating an infinite time loop. The series of new paintings and site-specific installations is on view at Sekrit Studios, Los Angeles and presented by @utaartistspace till July 13. Don’t miss it. 🙏🏿🖤
Savana Ogburn (@savanaogburn ) turns to collage, centering femininity, camp, and queerness through the use of bright colors and textures in her expansive practice.
Ogburn’s work “Blu Del Barrio” is featured in “for love, for art, and for being”, an online exhibition curated by UTA Artist Space Senior Director Harrison Tenzer (@htenzer ) in partnership with Elliot Page (@elliotpage ), spotlighting the myriad forms of expression embraced by queer artists. From painting to photography, abstraction to figuration, each piece serves as a testament to the rich complexity of queer identity. This exhibition is more than just a showcase of artistry— it’s a call to action for unity and solidarity within the LGBTQ+ community. To this end, a portion of the sale proceeds will be directed towards the Trans Justice Funding Project (@transjusticefp ), empowering trans communities across the United States and amplifying their voices in the fight for justice and equality.
Visit the link in bio to experience the online exhibition now.
_____
Savana Ogburn
“Blu Del Barrio”, 2024
Rhinestones and gesso on digital c-prints
14 x 41 ½ x 1 ½ inches (framed)
“We Insist Upon Ourselves In Perpetuity Throughout the Universe” is now on view in Atlanta! 🛸
April Bey’s fictional world “Atlantica” draws from a myriad of different sources, many of them books in the fantasy, sci-fi, and futuristic realm including comics and graphic novels. Atlanticans may encounter Pineapple Afrovenuses, deities that can cut down travel time and aid in transportation at a rapid speed, leaving the traveler with pineapple scented hair and skin. Populating the library are Calathea Crotalus Cerastes, a hybrid plant which fruits the hands of Black femmes with freshly manicured nails— they, too, act as transportation devices that grow naturally on Atlantica. ✨
Wesley Harvey (@wes_harvey1 ) mixes photos from 1960’s male physique magazines, Baroque and Rococo aesthetics, and contemporary gay iconography to create multi-media work celebrating gay male sexuality.
Harvey’s works are featured in “for love, for art, and for being”, an online exhibition curated by UTA Artist Space Senior Director Harrison Tenzer (@htenzer ) in partnership with Elliot Page (@elliotpage ), spotlighting the myriad forms of expression embraced by queer artists. From painting to photography, abstraction to figuration, each piece serves as a testament to the rich complexity of queer identity. This exhibition is more than just a showcase of artistry— it’s a call to action for unity and solidarity within the LGBTQ+ community. To this end, a portion of the sale proceeds will be directed towards the Trans Justice Funding Project (@transjusticefp ), empowering trans communities across the United States and amplifying their voices in the fight for justice and equality.
Visit the link in bio to experience the online exhibition now.
_____
Wesley Harvey
Double Bear/Bare Back Stirrup Vessel, 2022
Earthenware, glaze, glitter, resin
14 x 8 x 7 inches
Mario Joyce’s (@mariojoyceart ) mixed-media works interweave elements of heavenly bodies, celestial landscapes and organic matter, symbolizing a quest for tranquility amid the tumultuousness of life as a Black individual in America. His works often include soil sourced from his childhood farm, symbolizing an ancestral connection.
Mario’s painting “Dissolve” is featured in “for love, for art, and for being”, an online exhibition curated by UTA Artist Space Senior Director Harrison Tenzer (@htenzer ) in partnership with Elliot Page (@elliotpage ), spotlighting the myriad forms of expression embraced by queer artists. From painting to photography, abstraction to figuration, each piece serves as a testament to the rich complexity of queer identity. This exhibition is more than just a showcase of artistry— it’s a call to action for unity and solidarity within the LGBTQ+ community. To this end, a portion of the sale proceeds will be directed towards the Trans Justice Funding Project (@transjusticefp ), empowering trans communities across the United States and amplifying their voices in the fight for justice and equality.
Visit the link in bio to experience the online exhibition now.
_____
Mario Joyce
“Dissolve”, 2023
Soil, vintage collage and oil paint on canvas
8 x 8 inches
Khari Johnson-Ricks (@khari.studio ) explores Black movement traditions and queer fellowship through a unique process of painted cut paper installation. ❤️
Johnson-Ricks’ works are featured in “for love, for art, and for being”, an online exhibition curated by UTA Artist Space Senior Director Harrison Tenzer (@htenzer ) in partnership with Elliot Page (@elliotpage ), spotlighting the myriad forms of expression embraced by queer artists. From painting to photography, abstraction to figuration, each piece serves as a testament to the rich complexity of queer identity. This exhibition is more than just a showcase of artistry— it’s a call to action for unity and solidarity within the LGBTQ+ community. To this end, a portion of the sale proceeds will be directed towards the Trans Justice Funding Project (@transjusticefp ), empowering trans communities across the United States and amplifying their voices in the fight for justice and equality.
Visit the link in bio to experience the online exhibition now.
_____
Khari Johnson-Ricks
“Dual Lift”, 2023
Watercolor and gouache on paper
84 x 63 inches
Khari Johnson-Ricks
“Mobility Training”, 2022
Watercolor and gouache on paper
64 x 85 inches
Robert Indiana (@robertindiana ) began his career ensconced in queer community, and while appearing as slick Pop Art to many viewers, his works contain coded references to both historical queer artists and writers as well as his contemporaries.
Indiana’s work is featured in “for love, for art, and for being”, an online exhibition curated by UTA Artist Space Senior Director Harrison Tenzer (@htenzer ) in partnership with Elliot Page (@elliotpage ), spotlighting the myriad forms of expression embraced by queer artists. From painting to photography, abstraction to figuration, each piece serves as a testament to the rich complexity of queer identity. This exhibition is more than just a showcase of artistry— it’s a call to action for unity and solidarity within the LGBTQ+ community. To this end, a portion of the sale proceeds will be directed towards the Trans Justice Funding Project (@transjusticefp ), empowering trans communities across the United States and amplifying their voices in the fight for justice and equality.
Visit the link in bio to experience the online exhibition now.
_____
Robert Indiana
(White, Blue, Red), 2008
Serigraph on Saunders Waterford paper
Image size: 38 x 38 inches
Sheet size: 45 x 44 inches
Jamie Nares (@jamienares ) employs various media to explore physicality, motion, and the unfolding of time. In the 1980’s, Nares began to paint using brushes of her own manufacture to create monumental strokes that appear almost three dimensional in their detail and depth, recording a gestural passage of time and motion across the canvas.
Nares’ work “Finding the Line” is featured in “for love, for art, and for being”, an online exhibition curated by UTA Artist Space Senior Director Harrison Tenzer (@htenzer ) in partnership with Elliot Page (@elliotpage ), spotlighting the myriad forms of expression embraced by queer artists. From painting to photography, abstraction to figuration, each piece serves as a testament to the rich complexity of queer identity. This exhibition is more than just a showcase of artistry— it’s a call to action for unity and solidarity within the LGBTQ+ community. To this end, a portion of the sale proceeds will be directed towards the Trans Justice Funding Project (@transjusticefp ), empowering trans communities across the United States and amplifying their voices in the fight for justice and equality.
Visit the link in bio to experience the online exhibition now.
_____
Jamie Nares
“Finding the Line”, 2023
Oil on linen
65 x 54 inches
Alannah Farrell (@alannah.farrell.studio ) presents queer individuals through a lens of understanding and connection, a context shielded from a society eager to erase or enact violence.
Farrell’s works are featured in “for love, for art, and for being”, an online exhibition curated by UTA Artist Space Senior Director Harrison Tenzer (@htenzer ) in partnership with Elliot Page (@elliotpage ), spotlighting the myriad forms of expression embraced by queer artists. From painting to photography, abstraction to figuration, each piece serves as a testament to the rich complexity of queer identity. This exhibition is more than just a showcase of artistry— it’s a call to action for unity and solidarity within the LGBTQ+ community. To this end, a portion of the sale proceeds will be directed towards the Trans Justice Funding Project (@transjusticefp ), empowering trans communities across the United States and amplifying their voices in the fight for justice and equality.
Visit the link in bio to experience the online exhibition now.
_____
Alannah Farrell
“K (Downtown Los Angeles)”, 2023
Watercolor, acrylic, and spray paint on paper
16 x 12 inches
19 x 15 inches (framed)
