West Harlem Arts – a collaborative initiative of The Children’s Art Carnival and Centro Civico Cultural Dominicano – is pleased to present MEMORY + HEALING + SUSTAINABILITY, a new exhibition in dialogue with Afrofuturism philosophy and aesthetics.
MEMORY + HEALING + SUSTAINABILITY addresses the questions: how do you heal when memory is both prescient and present? How do you save the world and yourself and exist as a complete being when the world has torn you apart? Through paintings, collage, mixed-media, photography, and other media, the 18 exhibiting artists seek both to be free in the presence of a post-pandemic world that has divided itself once again while seeking to find roots in this fragile reality where distance outweighs desire.
The exhibition features works by Ayling Dominguez, Candace Leslie , Cecilia Ines Tavarez, Dionis Ortiz, Elan Cadiz , Gayle Davis, Gia Shakur, Isabel Varela , Janelis Germosen, Jimmy James Greene, Jirair Tcholakian, Jonas St. Juste , Kimberly Cabán, Maria Fernandez, Steven Mckenzie, Uniqua Simmons, Wilhelmina Grant-Cooper, Yasuyo Tanaka
Biography Ayling Zulema Dominguez (she/they/ella/elle) is a first-generation Chicana-Dominicana from Bronx, New York. As a poet and creative in an abolitionist mindset, her work aims to forge community; to affirm belonging as the first step… Read More »Ayling Dominguez
Biography Candace Leslie is a visual artist exploring the symbiotic relationships evident in motherhood, haircare and the manifold forms of blackness. As self-taught oil painter and collage artist born and raised in Columbus, GA, she… Read More »Candace Leslie
Biography Cecilia Ines Tavarez (aka – SEER) a Dominican-American artist born/raised in New York. She attended CUNY City College of New York, receiving a B.A. in Studio Arts in 2015. She a is a late-blooming… Read More »Cecilia Tavarez
Biography Elan Cadiz is an interdisciplinary North American Visual Artist that deconstructs and balances her intersectionality through her projects. Her art and practice are grounded in the documentation of her personal narrative through the use… Read More »Elan Cadiz
Biography Dionis Ortiz is a multimedia artist, community art producer, and educator who works in printmaking, collage, and sculpture. Drawing from his experiences as a child born and raised in Harlem of Dominican descent, he… Read More »Dionis Ortiz
Biography Isabel is a keynote speaker, life coach, master tailor, and sustainable artist. Not only has she overcome her fashion addiction with over $100k of debt in clothing, but she has turned herlife entirely around… Read More »Isabel Varela
Biography I am a visual communicator and believe that art is a language that connects with people on multiple levels. There are two main influences in my background that have helped shape and hone my… Read More »James Green
Biography My name is Glynn “Jonas” St. Juste, I was born and currently live in Hamilton Heights, Harlem,NY. I am a first generation to my Caribbean parents (St. Lucia and St. Kitts. I’m 25 years… Read More »Jonas St. Juste
Biography Born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon to Armenian parents, in a ethnically diverse society and moved to New York City in my early 20’s, after living through the first 8 years of the Lebanese… Read More »Jirair Tcholakian
Biography Kim Cabán, born and raised in NYC, is a multidisciplinary artist whose work encompasses her passion for creating. Inspired by her Caribbean roots she explores raw textures, bold colors, and natural elements in her… Read More »Kimberly Caban
Biography Originally, I started taking photos because I was interested in exploring human rights and identity. I am a self-taught photojournalist based in New York City and Dominican Republic. My work as a photographer has… Read More »Maria Fernandez
Biography Illustrator and Painter Steven Mckenzie is a Bronx native and graduate of Clark Atlanta University with a BA in Fashion design and merchandising currently freelancing in New York City. Growing up, Steven was consumed… Read More »Steven McKenzie
Biography Tina Rinehart is a writer and visual artist based Harlem, NY. She is currently attending the SUNY Purchase Creative Writing Program. Her work has been featured in Grungecake magazine, the Broadkill Review, Sinister Wisdom,… Read More »Tina Rinehart
Biography Uniqua Simmons born and raised in Harlem. A Mother of two and two grand children is a Certified Fitness Practitioner, Performance Artist, Self -Taught Jewelry, Multidisciplinary, Interdisciplinary Artist. She writes and creates Art about… Read More »Uniqua Simmons
The found object artworks presented for this exhibition at Children’s Art Carnival Gallery celebrate the energy, beauty, and originality of women.
Biography Yasuyo Tanaka is a first-generation Japanese immigrant, with passionate interest in radiation disasters, caused by the Fukushima nuclear accident, and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She is a social practice artist, educator,… Read More »Yasuyo Tanaka
Afrofuturism is an emerging philosophy of the diaspora and Africa that is a framework for how African people locate themselves in time and space with agency, with the understanding that the control of time is… Read More »Curators