Details:
① Artwork:
Deandre III
This artwork is the first in a series of seven unique monotypes pulled from the same block. Azikiwe Mohammed worked with Derriere L’Etoile Studios over two days to produce the series. Mohammed, a multi-hyphenate artist, tries to offer visions of real, present, past, and hopeful homes. Drawn from dinners, landscapes, portraits, and home objects, these homes provide an insight into the potential futures and current lives of the global majority. There is normally little to no detail in Mohammed’s depictions of people, allowing for whomever to step into the image, but, sometimes, to broach a larger story, details are added, such as here, with this monotype. Deandre III is a relative of Nya, the head of household in most of Mohammed’s home-based artworks.
Azikiwe Mohammed records and shares Black stories in artworks that combine ephemera and philosophy. The artist uses bright, uplifting colors to depict serious scenes that draw on both his personal life and his social justice work—such as sharing meals, helicopter searches, and raging fires. Azikiwe’s objects, paintings, videos, and installations offer viewers intimate participation while emphasizing inclusion and Black prosperity.
Specs:
③ Artist:
Azikiwe Mohammed records and shares Black stories in works that combine ephemera and philosophy. The artist uses uplifting bright colors to depict serious scenes that draw on both his personal life and his social justice work—such as sharing meals, helicopter searches, and raging fires. Azikiwe’s objects, paintings, videos, and installations offer viewers intimate participation while emphasizing inclusion and Black prosperity.
Azikiwe Mohammed was born in 1983 in New York City, NY, where he lives. The artist received a BFA from Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY (2005).
Azikiwe has mounted solo exhibitions of his work at Yeh Art Gallery at St. John’s University in Queens, NY (2021); Elijah Wheat Showroom in Newburgh, NY (2020); Anna Zorina Gallery in New York City, NY (2020); SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, GA (2019); Mindy Solomon Gallery in Miami, FL (2019); Public Swim Gallery in New York City, NY (2019); Ace Hotel Chicago in Chicago, IL (2018) and elsewhere.
Azikiwe's work has been included in group exhibitions at the Museum of African Diaspora in San Francisco, CA (2022); Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, AR (2021); David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles, CA (2020); Good Weather Gallery in North Little Rock, AR (2020); Wassaic Project in Wassaic, NY (2020); Spring Break Art Show in New York City, NY (2020); Spring Break Art Show LA in Los Angeles, CA (2020); and the Andrew Freedman Home in the Bronx, NY (2020).
Azikiwe is the recipient of numerous awards and residencies, including the Rauschenberg Artists Fund Grant (2021).
The artist’s work has been covered in numerous publications, including The New York Times, Frieze, Forbes, Hyperallergic, Artforum, Bomb Magazine, and Juxtapoz, among others.
