The Mohawk Gallery’s current exhibition — titled Manifestations of Time: The Black Experience — speaks to an array of perspectives: historical, contemporary, personal, political, religious and geographical.
Each of these social constructs, explored in depth in the exhibit, shape one’s identity.
Zoom out: There is no one way to be black.
That sentiment resounds throughout, echoed by a James Baldwin quote printed on a placard as you enter the space: “I am what time, circumstance, history has made of me, certainly, but I am also much more than that. So are we all.”
Mohawk Gallery is relatively small. Opened in 2016, it’s housed on the top floor of Robin Imaging Services, Inc. Manifestations of Time marks one of their busiest openings to date.
“We have kind of the same demographic that comes in — which is great, love to have repeat customers,” says co-gallerist Asha White. “But I wanted to expand our business to a different demographic and then also just get some different viewpoints in our gallery.”
And they did. Manifestations of Time opened Jan. 25 and will close April 18, running through Black History Month. That placement, in part, was purposeful, but the work featured goes beyond.
Fifteen local artists are exhibited, many of whom have multiple works on display. Each work is accompanied by a story or explanation, which Deb Johnson — co-owner of Robin Imaging and co-gallerist — says is crucial in bringing context to the show.
Once artists were selected, Johnson walked them through the written portion, helping them edit and refine their words.
“That was the cool part — to give enough direction that people understand what they need to submit but not so structured that they don’t submit a wide variety of ideas,” White says.
One of the artists on display is Rosalyn Fuller, whose painting “Future” depicts a ballerina bending down to lace her shoes, backdropped in a calming blue. Fuller writes that, “There was a time in our history when young girls of color only dreamed and had visions of themselves on the stage as professional dancers, especially in the ballet. Their beauty and gracefulness were not thought of as acceptable in mainstream circles of art and cultural dance.”
But Fuller looks to the future — as the title implies — as more women of color are given these opportunities.
Each painting or photograph lends a new voice, delving into themes across a spectrum. The show’s description reads: “Time shows us how these social constructs evolve, repeat themselves, and shape one’s experience. The Mohawk Gallery’s exhibitors unearth the African American experience through the perspective of time and how time has impacted these experiences.”
Yvel Clovis’ “Lovely” depicts a woman — captured via photograph — sitting in a chair. A slant of yellow light crawls down a cracked wall, which draws the viewers’ eyes toward her. Otherwise surrounded by bluish shadows, she looks up toward the window.
He has two other photos displayed: “Standing Tall” and “Lonely Writer.” Both play with shadows and light in similar but disparate ways, and all three represent “black women who share common experiences in dealing with race, hair, religion and perception,” he writes. The moments he captures feel natural, acting as a fluttering glimpse into their lives.
Clovis’ piece is placed beside a painting from co-gallerist White; the pale yellow of the former contrasts with the vibrancy of the latter. As an African-American woman, White notes societal pressures to conform in her statement. “But I refuse. I will not allow others to define my blackness,” she writes. In the painting, flowers bloom from a heart, which a silhouetted figure wears atop her head like a wrap.
Brandon Hawkins, owner of Soul Pallet and an instructor at Elementz, has three paintings in the show: “Blood Money,” “Revelation” and “Chasing Grace” — all are coded with religious iconography and political messages and paired with a poem by one of his mentees.
Other artists on display include Caroline Pyle, Gee Horton, Gregory Rust, Ivan Cowherd, Kay Worz, Marty Milligan, Michael Hensley, Scott McHenry, owner Deb Johnson, Nate Lennon and Nick Swartsell. (Swartsell is the news editor for CityBeat).
“I think overall just us being good community members and continuing to tap into people who are doing good work in the community is very important to us,” White says. “It means the world to us and helps us expand upon our mission.”
Manifestations of Time: The Black Experience at Mohawk Gallery (2106 Central Parkway, Over-the-Rhine) runs through April 18. More info: robinimaging.com.