We are pleased to present our first solo exhibition of works by Nafis M. White entitled Paint the Town Red, a dynamic and experiential presentation of new work by the interdisciplinary artist. The exhibition expands on the critically acclaimed and transcendent, Freedom is My Favorite Position, during the winter of 2023.
Paint the Town Red binds multi-media works by way of a performance of creation. White dives into the depths of the Autumnal energy, bathing the gallery in red in honor and celebration of the Goddess Sekhmet, the Warrior, the Sensualist, the Destroyer, the Lover, the Healer. In Paint the Town Red, White premieres new paintings, works on paper, performance and new iconic Oculus works. As viewers go deeper into the sanctuary, the darkness surrounds, red lighting illuminating the pathways forward, Afro House pulsating through the space. What happens in the dark stains the lips of the revelers. “A kiss that never ends, effervescent energy that vibrates towards intellectual climax, this is what I'm after….Catharsis, Power, Partnership and Release” says White.
Bodies of work on display also include Hidden Topographies which employs crewel embroidery and needlework to at once obscure and reimagined written text; and God Helps Those Who Help Themselves continuing White’s inquiry into the life story of Emmanuel “Manna” Bernoon, a freed slave who founded Providence’s first restaurant in 1736, an Oyster & Ale House. For this work, White sourced local oysters, cleaned and dried the shells and imbued them with gold leaf “to honor the Beauty, Resilience and Legacy of a People.”
