Press Release
Noah Jemisin
Mystique of the African Woman: The Anyeleh Series
April 11 ? May 25,n2019
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Skoto Gallery isnpleased to present Mystique of the African Woman; The Anyeleh series, an exhibition of recent paintings by thenAmerican artist Noah Jemisin. This will be his second solo show at the gallery.nThe reception is Thursday, April 11, 6-8pm and the artist will be present.
Noah Jemisin’s recent work exudes exuberantnenergy and vitality, compositional complexity and a high degree of originality.nHe explores issues of identity and black femininity through visual symbols andnmetaphors, drawing on a wide range of artistic inspirations, the culture of hisnsurroundings and mastery of the encaustic technique which was inspired by his earliernfamiliarity with use of the watercolor and gouache mediums, the free ?flowingncapriciousness of the water much like the hot wax. He exploits figurativenimages for non-narrative purposes – they do not tell a story, nor do theynprovide a description of a situation, they are pictorial discoveries that oftennrelease associations in the observer through the power of their expressiveness.nHis extensive travels in Africa, Europe and Asia have helped him to develop annapproach to life and art that enables him to synthesize into a distinct andndynamic whole the various components of his identity and create work thatnstrives to make meaning of his personal history as well as the ambiguities andncontradictions of contemporary culture. There is a great deal of criticalnexperience, of knowledge and admiration of art historical precedents in hisnwork as well as an ever sensitive deftly balanced interaction betweennmodernism?s formal concern?s with a belief in the emotive potential ofnpainting.
Included in thisnexhibition is a selection of fourteen strong works from the artist?s ongoing Mystique of the African Woman: The Anyeleh seriesnthat strives to extend the range of painting as expressive poetry whilensimultaneously paying homage to the strength, resilience and vitality of thenAfrican woman in her encounters with history and the realities of modernnsociety. Although the figure is recognizable as a woman, no hint is given ofnher character or background as the artist?s concern here is not so much withnevoking personality as to manifest them, to conjure them into existence. Thenarrangement of form, line and color gives the effect of a body coming togethernand falling apart. His belief that the spiritual and physical selves are inseparablenis reflected in his ability to further explore expressions inherent but stillnhidden in his intricately layered and textured pictures infused with nuanced, oftenncoded gestures exulting aspects of black culture. Noah Jemisin is alwaysnengaged in investigation of new materials and techniques as an integral part ofnhis search for a new visual language, in the process he makes images that arenpure inventions and full of new meanings. Performance art, spectacle, theatre,nmusic, dance and masquerade are influences and artistic manifestation that alsonrun parallel to his creative vision as an artist. The fluid and improvisationalnqualities of the encaustic medium, which he has mastered for over 30 years,ncombined with an abiding feeling about the sanctity of artistic creation allownfor a high degree of proficiency in his work – he applies the encaustic to thencanvas by brushing, pouring and tilting, allowing the molten wax to run intondesired and incidental configurations, enabling him to effect immediately, thendesired density.
Noah Jemisin was bornnin Birmingham, AL and obtained an MFA degree from University of Iowa, in 1974. Henis a widely exhibited artist, Solo exhibitions include Just Above MidtownnGallery, Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, 22 Wooster Gallery, Myungsook Lee Gallery,nMinor Injury Gallery, Broadway Windows, all in New York City, Lattuada Studio,nMilan, Italy, the Hillwood Art Museum,nthe College of Charleston (a retrospective) and the Oswego New York Museum. Henis in numerous public and private collections including the MetropolitannMuseum, New York, the Library of Congress, Washington DC, the Museum of Art atnthe University of Iowa, Montclair Museum of Art, Museum of Santa Fe, New Mexiconand the Miami-Dade Public Library, Florida. Awards include New York Foundation for thenArts, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, travel grant from Arts International,nArtist in Residence at The Studio Museum in Harlem and The Bronx River ArtnGallery, Bronx, New York.
ArtistnStatement
The FirstbornnDaughter
Their arrogance is only skinndeep.
The God Almighty knew exactlynwhat he was doing when he made you black.
If black people knew the pastnthey would be more inclined to respect themselves.
Marcus Garvey n
The Hindu and Buddhist call the sum of a person’s actions in this andnprevious states of existence, Karma. With the suggestion that karma may somehowneven help in deciding their fate in future existences, understanding eachnartist creates out of a personal necessity. And that they do it because theyncan’t help themselves, because they simply have to. Out of a need to satisfynthe urge to shape the world to their own experiences and understanding of lifenand nature, their works can only be described as them facing their own karma.nFor this reason I haven?t the slightest doubt that this group of paintings werensomehow fated, preordain to me before I even arrived on this plane.
The Anyeleh series was inspired by a chance meeting of a woman with thenperfect African body at an African music concert. A body I had been in searchnof for a number of years, and a vehicle with which to express the charm andngrace, the strengths and endurable richness of the offspring of the mysticalnAfrican Egyptian goddess Nut. And in addition, the progenitor of the DNA BlacknEve that all human beings possess; in the one and only race that really mattersn? ?The Human Race.?
From two or three rows back in thenaudience, the archetypical body hit me like a ton of bricks, reminding me ofnthe serendipitous quality to life. I couldn?t keep my eyes off of her back. I?dnseen individual attributes of her in other black women, but to see, visuallynthe dignity, the long upright bearing, the angularity, and the rich proudnblackness of color, was like a thunderbolt shot straight from the lightningnanvil of the Yoruba god Shango. Here was my grandmother, my first girlfriendn(who gave me my first touch of spring), and eventually “My LovenSupreme”. All encapsulated in one being. I knew immediately I had to usenthe creature to aid me in my search for the underlying truth, harmony and ordernof life. Absent mankind’s version: ?Ifnyou can?t believe the original, who can you believe? I thought? I had faithnthat she would help me rediscover and convey the dignity inherent in myself, asnwell as black people. And perhaps in the process inspire a new personalnlanguage or dialogue with which to show human beings that we are still a partnof nature, still creatures on the sick planet earth. Not divorce from it andneach other in this mad dash towards oblivion.
Being aggressive for one of the few times in my life, I approached thenyoung lady and told her “you have a magnificent African body.” Graciously,nshe said “thanks.” which gave me hope. After assuring her that Inwasn’t making a pass I gave her my email address and told her that if she’dnlike to make a little extra money, it would be an honor to employ her as anmodel for a few sessions. “Between the two of us we could accomplish greatnthings” I explained. Informing her that art constituted a very potentnforce that could be used to change things for the better, and that every artistnworks normally speaks to his cultural norms; mores, essential characteristics,ncustoms and beliefs of his community. Hence, I was soliciting her aid in givingnme the opportunity to define our culture, no less.
The paintings in this exhibition will testify to whether or not wenaccomplished our goals. But the two of us put forth every effort when Inreminisce back to those days. I assured her “I would never do anythingndisrespectful towards her or to denigrate the people that I love.” Thoughnraised in Texas, the young student’s family had migrated from Ghana in WestnAfrica and still had deep roots there. A member of the Ga tribe, she straddlesnboth the African and African-American continents. In her tribe the name Anyelehnis traditionally given to the firstborn daughter of a family. I reassured her that her personal identitynwould remain anonymous if she decided in the affirmative, and as I walked awaynI prayed that she would take me up on my offer.
Noah Jemisin
Brooklyn, New York, 2019
Ode To The Black Woman
You, you, you
Disgraced, degraded,ndebased, but desired
Awesome in yournaccouterments
Challenging allnartists to ?get it right?
As your deep curvesnand natural melody
Render them lightnheaded and confused
You, you, you
Of thick, purple NinanSimone lips
Those swollenngrapes/aged in the cellars
Of yournwomanhood/like rare wine
Sending lesser lipsnin search of collagen
Twisting those samenlips in pain and ecstasy
You, you, you
Of magnificent loinsnthat rode in Pharaoh?s carriage
From which Semiticntribes first sprung
Of grace and nobilitynand mystery
The symmetry andnarchitecture of your backsides
As the archetypenpattern for all that follow
You, you, you
Sheba, Cleopatra,nNefertiti, Ishtar, Salome
Why have they madenyou so white?
(the hidden hand)
Jewel in the greatncrown of humankind.
You, you, you
The rhythm of yournbody movements
Reflect and concurnwith earth?s orbit
Lover, Giver of life,nfor with whom nature conspires
Juju woman, Keeper ofnsecrets, Holy Ghost woman
You, you, you
First teacher, Poised without posing
Nappy, kinky, curly, natural, Black magic hair
Blueblack, purpleblack, dark chocolate, paper bag brown,
banana yellow, high blue vein yellow
You, you, you
Autobiography of thenfemale body/breast that fed nations
Laughing, crying,nmoaning blues and hymns. Dignified, Proud
Seer, Knower, Reader,nHealer, Nurturer, Sensitive, Resolute
You, you, you, yournsmile is of the warmth of the sun.
You, you, you
Bitch/Goddess Queen,ncomfort yourself in all that you are
And all that you havenendured
Seneca Turner
Early Fall 2017
