Art Flow(s): Perspectives from the African Diaspora

From Curator Zoma Wallace

Welcome to Art Flow(s): Perspectives from the African Diaspora. This intercultural, interdisciplinary exhibition was conceived by three active members of the Strathmore community as a project to nurture connectivity, authenticity, and accessibility through the arts. Known as the Three Sisters, Dr. Deborah Smith, Dr. Yonette Thomas, and Dr. Margo Thomas have shared a friendship of over 25 years as well as a lifelong love of the arts. They have collected expressions of human creativity from virtually every continent while traversing the globe on professional and personal trips. By sharing select pieces from their personal collections of visual art, sculpture and ephemera, The Three Sisters intend to stimulate introspection and contemplation around the value and meaning of art in the lives of people from all walks of life. This exhibition is designed as a blend of creative perspectives.

As a noun, a verb, and a metaphor, the word flow describes a state of mind, a state of being, or the quality of a movement. The creative process itself is often described as being its own type of flow, in which ideas move from imagined concepts into realized form, as the inspired artist who finds themselves "in the flow" is fueled by a compulsion to create, to connect, and to sometimes heal. Flow is a theme that transcends, yet unifies, the individual narratives represented within the artworks curated into this exhibition. Flow also describes the unbroken continuity and fluidity of movement and exchange in the life of every human being, much like the flow of blood and breath through the body or the flow of a river.

Art Flow(s) intends for visitors to see and feel how culture flows across borders, seas, art forms, and generations. Though globally-minded and universally relevant, the focus of this exhibition presents a range of expressions, perspectives, and experiences specific to peoples of the African Diaspora. Diaspora refers to the dispersion or spread of a people from their original homelands, and the 'African Diaspora' is composed of African-descended people who have either migrated across the globe voluntarily or whose ancestors were forcibly relocated and dispersed. The Three Sisters feel that art through "connectedness with ancestors, connectedness beyond oneself, and connections across communities" has been a source of resilience for all peoples. The Sisters hope that Art Flow(s) will offer visitors opportunities to connect with different forms of art and to contemplate the flow of art in our daily lives.