Coretta Scott King speaks in a photo held by a silent man who himself is superimposed over an elaborate ornamental structure in this photo collage by Todd Gray. Liberation and the legacy of oppression, particularly of European colonization in Africa and the architectural expressions of wealth it allowed in Europe, come head-to-head in new photo collage by Todd Gray at David Lewis Gallery on the Lower East Side. (On view through June 16th).
Titled ‘Juba’ after a West African dance tradition, Charles White’s portrait of this contemplative woman is dynamic though she’s still. Michael Rosenfeld Gallery’s exhibition of work by White and contemporaries from his wide circle of influence and friendship showcases large-scale drawings like this one from the 60s and 70s, illustrating White’s masterful ability to confer serene wisdom on his characters. (On view through Nov 10th).
Fatoumata shows off a new braided hairstyle in this portrait by Burkina Faso photographer Sanle Sory, whose photo studio attracted the young and fashionable of Bobo-Dioulasso for decades after opening in 1960. In dozens of images taken from the 60s to the 80s, now on view at Yossi Milo Gallery in Chelsea, Sory captures the lively self-styling of the country’s youth post-independence, calling photography ‘a witness to everything, a kind of proof of life.’ (On view through June 23rd).
Angolan artist Keyezua’s ‘Fortia’ series (translated as ‘Strength’) features female figures in handmade masks and dramatic red gowns posing in an eroded landscape outside Luanda. Citing her father’s disability and early death, the artist aims to explore how her own identity developed as a young woman experiencing loss. (In ‘Refraction: New Photography of Africa and its Diaspora’ at Steven Kasher Gallery in Chelsea through June 2nd).
Meleko Mokgosi’s provocative pairing of three regal African women with a massive bull implies that we’re looking at two powerful forces. The diptych’s subtitle is ‘Lerato: Philia I’ the Setwana word for love (used as a noun in reference to a woman) followed by a suffix that brings to mind excessive devotion. (At Jack Shainman Gallery on 20th and 24th Streets through Oct 22nd).
