In a Baltimore Exhibition, the Transformative Potential of Today's Griots Emerges
Briefly

The article discusses the exhibition 'Emergence: Stories in the Making' at Galerie Myrtis, curated by Noel Bedolla and Ky Vassor, exploring how storytelling influences culture. The exhibition features artists like Alanis Forde and Kachelle Knowles, who tackle themes of identity and race in their works. Forde's paintings challenge stereotypes of Black women, while Knowles champions fluid gender expression among Black youth. Kim Rice's tapestry, 'American Quilt', critiques historical processes like redlining, showing how such narratives impact society. Overall, the exhibition presents a reflection on contemporary issues through the lens of storytelling.
Emergence: Stories in the Making posits that the narratives we tell play a critical role in collective experiences, acts of solidarity, and societal progress.
Kachelle Knowles focuses on Black teenagers, asserting their rights to fluid gender expressions through mixed-media portraits that incorporate patterned paper and acrylic gems.
Kim Rice's 'American Quilt' uses maps distributed by the Home Owners' Loan Corporation to illustrate the influence of redlining on society, stitching together a narrative of racial inequality.
Alanis Forde uses vibrant disguise in her art to merge her likeness with a fictive version of herself, subverting traditional representations of Black women.
Read at Colossal
[
|
]