Media Contact:
Timothy Brown
Hillyer Director
hillyerdirector@artsandartists.org
PRESS RELEASE
“Newly Selected Artists and Curator: Mark Tan, Nicole Wandera, and Adam Odomore,” September 2–October 1, 2023. The opening reception is Friday,
September 1, 2023 (“First Friday”), 6 to 8 p.m.
Mark Tan | Adam Odomore | Nicole Wandera
Mark Tan
Sight Unseen is a representation of displacement, belonging, and defeat through the Department of Homeland Security’s Arrival/Departure Record, known as Form I-94, which is issued to aliens admitted to the United States. This form shows the terms of your admission, including your legal status, the length of time you may stay, and your expected departure date. For migrants, it represents the experience of being tracked and recorded in the United States.
The work depicts sympathy through hardship, accessibility, and the desire of a migrant to find a place. This exhibition includes the continuous clunk of a time recorder, indicating that time here is temporary and will always expire; it also suggests the perpetual motion of lived experiences of entering the United States and the hurdles that migrants encounter, underscored by a newspaper that shares the stories of Tan’s family and their journey in search for a new life. Labor is what brought the artist to the United States, and labor is what allows the artist to stay.
Nicole Wandera
We Meet Again
We Meet Again is a visual narrative of personal growth, embracing the wisdom of the past and the aspirations for the future. This exhibition unites the past, present, and future, as the artist delves into themes of childhood, motherhood, catharsis, and the enigmas of what lies ahead. Influenced by the timeless traditions of her heritage, Wandera uses African prints to weave a narrative that honors the strength of matriarchal figures, acknowledging their pivotal role in shaping her life and instilling a profound sense of identity.
The exhibition becomes a testament to the nurturing power of motherhood, encapsulating the joys, challenges, and transformative experiences that define this sacred bond.
Wandera integrates technology with the use of augmented reality, which adds an interactive element, evoking the playfulness and imagination of childhood experiences while discussing difficult themes of healing from trauma. We Meet Again is an immersive reflection of growth, inviting viewers to contemplate their transformative paths, embracing hope, healing, and shared human experiences.
Adam Odomore
To Harvest a Dream Buried in Dust—On Care and Blackness
In this group exhibition, curator, Adam Odomore, aims to center and provide space and opportunities for reimagination and interrogation of care as it relates to Black bodies in the built environment. Located at the intersection of race and gender equality, artists from the African Diaspora provide a space for healing and rest within the larger context of a patriarchal, capitalist, white-supremacist, imperialist world.
Thus, by imagining, creating, and beholding moments of care, tenderness, vulnerability, and rest, we create safe spaces to rebuild and explore new possibilities. Sometimes what we think is impossible now is not impossible in another decade.
Allowing for a safe space where we can all learn to be more honest and truthful with ourselves, it is the hope that passive viewers, through engagement with the works on view, will be transformed to active participants who will begin to ask themselves, What does my divine identity look like for me?—while asking ourselves what we need and why—What does care look like for each of us?
Exhibition Content
Visit Hillyer’s upcoming exhibitions to learn about the featured artists.
Image Credits (Left to Right):
Mark Tan, Labor of Liberty, 2022, Installation: wood, punch clock, plastic, paper, time card racks, varied sizes; Nicole Wandera, Persephonoir, 2023, acrylic, 24 by 48 in.; Tavon Taylor, Midnight, photograph print, 34 x 48 in.; JaLeel Marques Porcha (Untitled- Resting Place), photograph print, 17 x 22 in.; Anthony Nsofor, A Place of Healing (Portrait of Amber), oil on canvas, 46 x 53 in.
International Arts and Artists at Hillyer
Founded in 2006, IA&A at Hillyer (formerly Hillyer Art Space) is the Washington-area initiative of International Arts & Artists. Through its innovative and often provocative exhibitions and public programs, IA&A at Hillyer champions local and international artists at all stages of their careers.IA&A at Hillyer collaborates with artists, cultural organizations, and embassies to develop and host creative, thought-provoking programs that push our understanding and reflect the uniqueness of DC as an international capital. Whether you live in Washington or are visiting, IA&A at Hillyer invites you to encounter contemporary art from the US and around the world in a welcoming, and intimate gallery setting.Hillyer is open Tue-Sun from 12p – 6p (5p on weekends).