Reception for Nikesha Breeze: Black Archive

On View: January 31–March 16, 2024
Reception: Saturday, February 17, 6-8 pm

Richard Levy Gallery is pleased to present Black Archive, a solo exhibition of paintings, photographs, and sculptural installations by Nikesha Breeze. In the project room the gallery features Color Relatives, a selection of beaded works by Alex Ponca Stock. Both Breeze and Ponca Stock present distinct perspectives and mediums with thought-provoking and culturally significant works.

Nikesha Breeze’s Black Archive encompasses a variety of mediums and explores themes of restoration. Southern Comfort features two antique chairs symbolizing the opulence and superficial gentility of the Antebellum South. The restored upholstery juxtaposes luxurious silk jacquard fabric with hand-harvested cotton and human hair stuffing. Pastoral Scenes presents reproduced antique stereographs depicting African American life in the late 1800s, capturing scenes of daily life and landscapes. Black Archive also includes recent works from the series Archival Portraiture and W.E.B. Du Bois Portraits in addition to a site specific installation, Land Effigy. This interdisciplinary approach aims to prompt viewers to reconsider established historical narratives and engage with history in a new light.

Nikesha Breeze is an African American/Assyrian interdisciplinary artist, activist, and educator. She was recently selected by the New Mexico Women in the Arts as one of five Women to Watch in New Mexico in 2024. The Equal Justice Initiative commissioned Breeze to recreate 108 Death Masks in bronze, to be unveiled at the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park in Montgomery, AL, alongside other notable Black contemporary artists. This monument and Breeze’s work were recently featured in the New York Times. The artist currently lives and works in Taos.