ORIGINAL PHOTO BY AMBER ROBLES-GORDON
Womanhood and femininity finds itself in every corner of life. Church pews, miniature gardens and passed-down accessories— artists Lavett Ballard, Amber Robles-Gordon and Evita Tezeno bring Black womanhood and female friendships to the canvas through their exhibition, “Solace and Sisterhood,” at the University of Maryland’s David C. Driskell Center.
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D.C.-based artist Amber Robles–Gordon has created assemblages that cover swaths of the walls and floor, forming symmetrical arrangements of original paintings and objects along with bric-a-brac that could have been pulled right out of granny’s house. Among these talismans are coasters, sticks wrapped with rainbow thread, embroidery samplers, vividly painted wood planks, and live plants in glass cubes of water.
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Through their pieces, the artists reflect on shared experiences, understanding and a supportive bond that fosters resilience. They examine a sense of sisterhood within the Black community, which transcends individual stories and shared experiences, creating a space for solace.
Jamiyah Bonds, a sophomore government and politics major, said she always enjoys seeing other people’s world experiences through art.
Read MoreSolace and Sisterhood, The Driskell Center’s fall semester exhibit, amplifies the resilience and bond of Black sisterhood through the varying perspectives of three prominent female artists.
The exhibit, which is on view until Dec. 5, aims to encompass a diverse range of relationships between women, from biological relationships to friendships. It showcases the impact sisterhood has on these relationships and examines the solace and understanding Black women in these relationships receive, according to a press release by The Driskell Center.
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Solace and Sisterhood brings together the work of three artists of African descent who are friends and “sisters”: Lavett Ballard, Amber Robles-Gordon, and Evita Tezeno. Through their artwork, viewers are given an intimate look into their experiences and their sisterhood, which has developed over several years. By digging deeply into historical and contemporary perspectives on African American life, exploring traditions in the African diasporic community, or remixing commonly known objects, these artists span media and aesthetics. They tackle topics of self-identity, Black female beauty, and spiritual discovery. They resist single affiliations and simple answers to difficult questions. All the while, they maintain deep bonds that now transcend friendship. They are now sisters.
Read MoreRobles-Gordon is a multidisciplinary Afro-Latina artist based out of Washington, D.C., who was born in Puerto Rico, grew up in Arlington, Virginia, and has family living in the U.S. Virgin Islands, she said. The six double-sided quilts are meant to convey her perspective of these territories while deconstructing how they are affected by foreign and domestic policies and “stimulate further dialogue regarding the long arm of the American political machine.”
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Amber Robles-Gordon’s Successions: Traversing U.S. Colonialism, are a series of abstract textile artworks that interrogate the past and current hegemonic domestic and foreign policies within its federal district of Washington, D.C., and its other five inhabited territories. It is through these works that the viewer is granted a pathway through discursive criticism around issues impacting marginalized communities.
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LEFT: AMBER ROBLES-GORDON. RIGHT: DETAIL OF MONTGOMERY BRAWL. PHOTO CREDIT: AMBER ROBLES-GORDON AND JARRETT HENDRIX.
Who is worthy of care? Amber Robles-Gordon’s “Surely, she (he/we) is a little animal?” critically examines power, control, and societal implications. The show aims to visually demonstrate how unchecked control can lead to the mistreatment of both animals and children, emphasizing that these issues are universally connected and perpetuate a cycle of violence and abuse. The body of work, six mixed-media collages on wooden panels, also highlights the deep-rooted biases and racism that contribute to the devaluation of lives, particularly those of people of color, on a global scale.
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Surely, she (he/we) is a little animal? is a chronological visual exploration of the cross generational and long term impact of imperialism and colonialism. In each of the six mixed media on wood panel works Robles-Gordon begins with the transatlantic slave trade and leads the viewer on a panoramic sweep contemplating the modern-day systems and infrastructures that continue to uplift colonialism and imperialism.
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Who/what is worthy of care? Who cares for the defenseless? Who/what is defended? Incorporating the transdisciplinary study of human ecology into her practice and scope, Robles-Gordon uses the field as an anchor in her expansive investigations of race, history, the sciences and culture. The resulting new body of work rigorously explores colonialism and imperialism, global anti-blackness, child welfare and animal cruelty. Finding them all connected, just not equally, the exhibition exposes frank contradictions in American perceptions of human life, animal life and minority lives.
Read More20 October 2023 - 30 September 2024
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo / San Juan, Puerto Rico
Luego de cuatro años de ardua labor investigativa, el Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico presenta su nueva exhibición “Puerto Rico Negrx”, primera muestra institucional en el país que presenta a artistas negrxs en un contexto histórico y un diálogo intergeneracional.
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Al encontrarlos todos conectados, pero no por igual, Amber Robles-Gordon vincula visualmente las historias y desarrollos de los movimientos estadounidenses de protección infantil y bienestar animal con los derechos civiles y las luchas en curso por la libertad.
Read MorePuerto Rico Negrx es la primera exhibición institucional que establece un diálogo intergeneracional y contextualiza históricamente la producción de artistas identificados como negrxs en Puerto Rico y su diáspora, a partir de una selección de obras realizadas desde la década de 1990 hasta la actualidad. La exhibición toma como punto de partida la exhibición Paréntesis: ocho artistas negros contemporáneos y la importancia que ha tenido como proyecto de un grupo que reivindicaba su identidad como puertorriqueñxs negrxs y artistas contemporáneos que rechazaban un vínculo inherente entre la negritud, el folclore y la artesanía.
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BUTTER is made possible each year through the combined efforts of GANGGANG, approximately 50 artists and makers, and about 100 creative entrepreneurs in Indianapolis. (Photo/Solo Mabry)
“We need to go positive towards each other because that’s the only way that we’re going to make real change,” Robles-Gordon said. “We have to deconstruct the lens of white supremacy, the lens of anti-Blackness, and that starts with us looking at each other and treating each other differently.”
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Curated by Wilfredo Valladares
“ Finding Home” art exhibition at Maryland Hall Chaney & Marino Galleries. Featuring Amber Robles -Gordon, Edgard Endress, Jin Lee, Sandra Perez-Ramos, Sunhee Jung, Trisha Kryner
Read MoreFibers of My Soul is an art exhibition that weaves together the diverse cultural experiences and traditions of a group of talented artists. Through a captivating array of mediums, including fiber collage, painted textiles, and hand-dyed abstracts, this exhibition serves as a bridge connecting the artists' narratives to the audience's shared human experiences. Each artist featured in this exhibition brings a unique perspective rooted in their personal journey, cultural heritage, and individual artistic expression.
Read MoreLa artista nacida en San Juan y criada desde pequeña en Arlington Virginia, Amber Robles-Gordon, está presentando la primera exposición individual en línea, Place of Breath and Birth, en la Galería de Arte de la Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, en Santurce.
Su trabajo artístico representa un retrato de sus recuerdos de niña. Según nos cuenta en entrevista, este momento en la vida de la artista fue muy complejo, no solamente por encontrarse en un nuevo lugar a temprana edad, con una cultura e idioma totalmente diferente a la de San Juan, pero además por el discrimen que la recibió en aquel entonces. Esta exposición es dedicada a esa parte de su vida y su afán por recuperar su herencia.
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Artist/Exhibition Conversation: On Saturday May 20, 2023 at 2:00 pm join us for a conversation between Amber Robles-Gordon, a featured solo artist during the month of May, and George Hemphill, renowned gallerist in Washington DC. Robles-Gordon and Hemphill will be discussing the underpinnings of her current body of artwork, the connective threads to the Washington Color School, and an undiminished love and appreciation of the artwork of Alma Thomas.
This program is organized in conjunction with Robles-Gordon's exhibition Remnants: a visual journey of memory and renewal, which will be on view through Sunday, May 28, 2023. The event is free to the public. Advanced registrations are welcomed.
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Amber Robles-Gordon, Soy luz, amor, y frecuencia (I am light, love, and frequency), 2023, Mixed media on canvas, 80 x 60 in.
“Solace and Sisterhood” at Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington brings together the work of three artists of African descent who are friends and “sisters.” Through their artwork, viewers are given an intimate look into their experiences and their sisterhood, which has developed over several years.
Sisterhood through the lens of the Black female experience is a deep and multifaceted relationship that challenges stereotypes and seeks to right wrongs. With the constant scrutiny of their choices and physical selves, and social opposition to their abilities and accomplishments, sisterhood for Black women becomes a necessity, a social enterprise, and a framework for survival. By digging deeply into historical and contemporary perspectives on African American life, exploring traditions in the African diasporic community, or remixing commonly known objects, these artists span media and aesthetics. They tackle topics of self-identity, Black female beauty, and spiritual discovery. They resist single affiliations and simple answers to difficult questions. All the while, they maintain deep bonds that now transcend friendship. They are now sisters.
At this Kolaj LIVE Online event, co-sponsored by MoCA Arlington, exhibition artists Lavett Ballard, Amber Robles-Gordon, and Evita Tezeno will be joined by curator Dr. Lauren Davidson for a discussion about collage made from the lives of Black female experience. exhibition. The conversation will focus on the three artists’ use of collage techniques throughout their work, from the incorporation of archival materials and handmade paper to the development of found object assemblage. Kolaj Institute’s Ric Kasini Kadour will facilitate the program.
Solace and Sisterhood is on view at MoCA Arlington through 26 May 2024.
Lavett Ballard holds a BA in Studio Art and Art History from Rutgers University and an MFA from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia and is an adjunct professor at Rowan College of South Jersey. Ballard’s work is in public and private collections, including the US Embassy in Kampala, Uganda, the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University, Stockton University Art Collection and the collections of ABC Studios, CBS Studios, and NBC/Universal Studios. Ballard created two commissioned covers for Time Magazine: one in March 2020 for the 100th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage and a second in February 2023 to accompany Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson’s essay about her book CASTE: Origins of our Discontent. The artist lives and works in Willingboro, New Jersey and is represented by Gallery Myrtis in Baltimore.
Amber Robles-Gordon is an Afro-Latina interdisciplinary visual artist who holds an MFA from Howard University and a BS from Trinity College. She was a resident at the American Academy in Rome in 2019 and a semi-finalist for the Janet & Walter Sondheim Prize in 2022. Robles-Gordon’s work has been exhibited in solo exhibitions at the American University Museum (Washington, DC), Morton Fine Art (Washington, DC), Derek Eller Gallery (New York, New York), and the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), among other venues, and in group exhibitions across the United States and internationally. Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, the artist lives and works in Washington, DC.
Dallas, Texas artist Evita Tezeno‘s work is included in the permanent collections of the Pérez Art Museum (Miami, Florida), the Dallas Museum of Art, African American Museum of Dallas, Figge Art Museum (Davenport, Iowa) Embassy of the Republic of Madagascar; and Pizzuti Collection (Columbus, Ohio) among many others. She is the recipient of a 2023 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and, in 2012, the Elizabeth Catlett Award for the New Power Generation. She is represented by Luis de Jesus Los Angeles.
Dr. Lauren Davidson is an independent art curator and founder of Museum Nectar Art Consultancy. Museum Nectar is a curatorial and art advisory service working primarily in the field of contemporary African American art with a focus on emerging and mid-career artists. Davidson uses this platform to investigate issues and initiate conversations about the Diasporic Black experience. Past exhibitions include the critically reviewed “The Ties That Bind” and “Zero Dollar Bill: The Prints of Imar Lyman” at International Art and Artists (IA&A) at Hillyer in Washington, D.C and “Bria Edwards: More Time in A Day” at Eaton DC.
https://mocaarlington.org/exhibits/2024/solace-and-sisterhood/
The Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that enriches community life by connecting the public with contemporary art and artists through exhibitions, education programs, and an artists-in-residence program. Founded in 1974 by a group of contemporary artists, the museum is celebrating its 50th anniversary throughout 2024. Located at 3550 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, Virginia, the museum is open Wednesday-Sunday, Noon-5PM. The museum has free on-site parking, is easy to reach by metro and bus, and is accessible. There is no admission fee to visit. For more information about their exhibitions and programming, visit mocaarlington.org and @mocaarlington on Facebook and Instagram.
www.mocaarlington.org
Kolaj LIVE Online is a series of virtual programs in the form of forums, panels, workshops, artist talks, studio visits, and other activities that allow people to come together, learn and talk about collage, and connect in real time to the collage community. Our goal is to bring the community together in a spirit of mutual support and fellowship. Kolaj LIVE Online manifests Kolaj Magazine and Kolaj Institute by bringing together artists, curators, and writers to share ideas that deepen our understanding of collage as a medium, a genre, a community, and a 21st century movement. Learn more at the SERIES WEBSITE.
Soy Luz, amor, y frecuencia.(I am light, love and frequency), 2023, mixed media, 80 (L) x 60 (H) in
In this series, Robles-Gordon explores the emotional, physical, and psychic processes of loss. This body of work conveys the mental and physical effort it takes to move through loss. The artist works sequentially and within these works, deploying the lenses of abstraction, realism, photography, sacred geometry, symbolism, and installation art to convey a journey of self-awareness and growth. Together, these artworks present a visual telling of love, loss, and healing.
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