Reality Check
Anna U Davis

January 15- February 27, 2022

Anna U Davis is known for her bold, colorful mixed-media work, where she explores social inequalities. Reality Check investigates the concept of diffusion of responsibility in regards to pressing global issues. Diffusion of responsibility is a socio-psychological phenomenon whereby an individual assumes that other people are responsible for taking necessary action. In Reality Check, Davis juxtaposes mixed media paintings depicting diffusion of responsibility with works investigating gender inequality, racial discrimination, and climate change. The work addresses our unwillingness to listen, our resistance to speak up, and our inability to see the imminent consequences of our indifference.

About the Artist, Anna U Davis: A native of Lund, Sweden, Davis began expanding her artistic practice and developing her signature “Frocasian” characters after moving to Washington, D.C., in the 1990s. Frocasians appear in her art as abstracted grey-toned figures, inspired by her interracial marriage and her strongly held belief that everyone, regardless of their skin color, should be treated as equals and have the same opportunities in life. Davis creates narrative work where her characters investigate social inequalities, often focusing on gender relations. What began as hard-edge acrylic paintings have evolved into multimedia works which incorporate acrylic paint, cut-paper collage, textiles, and traditional pen-and-ink drawing techniques. Davis is a two-time recipient of the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant and has recieved multiple fellowships from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. In 2020, she was featured on the cover of the journal Feminist Studies, Issue 46.1. Recent solo and duo shows include the Swedish American Museum (Chicago), Galerie Myrtis (Baltimore), the Embassy of Sweden (Washington, D.C.), and Bredgade Kunsthandel (Copenhagen). Her work has been shown in additional solo and group exhibitions in the United States, Europe, and Cuba (13th Havana Biennial) and is held in public and private collections throughout the United States and Europe.