A Day At The Museum (Black History Month Edition)

Art to me feels good.

I love how art makes a room feel.

I had the pleasure of viewing two wonderful exhibits at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts on the last day of black history month. Kehinde Wiley’s An Archaeology of Silence and Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage.

As much as Art makes me feel good, it can also be overwheleming. Can you really get a feel for the work of an aritist in one visit? Can you really understand the meaning of the art? Are you taking enough photos of the art to share on social media? Did you get to see each hanging piece? All this floats through my mind at times, some of the thoughts are superficial some a bit anxious in their origin but deep down, I truly desire to understand the work of artists and the thoughts they have as they create.

Walking through the Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage exhibit, I loved to see each artist’s take on collage. It sparked a desire within me to take this art form and try it myself. As the name of the exhibit already stated Blackness is multiplicit so of course Black work would be too. Of course all of the artist would have a beautiful varied take on collage and how Black culture and black experiences could be represented through it. As a lover of color my eyes had a good time seeing all of the pieces that occupied the space and popped off the walls.

Afterwards, I made my way over to experience Kehinde Wiley’s display. I’ve been wanting to experience Wiley’s work for years now. I was able to see his portrait of Obama while it was showcased at the MFAH but to see a full body of work in one place was still my truest desire.

Seeing how Wiley uses everyday people and showcases that black is beautiful in any form was magical. It showcases that everyone is important and everyone and anyone can be art. I’ve never seen an artist use this approach to portraits and sculptures. Most times we see the subjects in portraits of this magnitude dressed up and fancy. Kehinde Wiley’s approach to art is so appreciated. It means so much to me to see ourselves like this.

It’s a reminder that I am art, you are art, and that every day, every moment, and every body can be art.

-Kofo