The Riverside Arts Center’s Freeark Gallery is pleased to present Social Chromaticism, an exhibition of painting and assemblage by Kwamé Azure Gomez, guest curated by chris d. reeder. Join Kwamé and curator chris d. reeder on Sunday, June 23rd at 2pm for an artist talk and closing reception.

Artist Talk and Closing Reception: Sunday, June 23, 2024, 2:00pm
Exhibition Dates: May 24 – June 22, 2024

Abstraction transcends mere stylistic choice—it’s a prism to explore the depths of color’s social and ontological dimensions. Guided by intuition, each brushstroke relinquishes control to the divine system of creative expression, inviting us to delve into the interplay between surface and depth. In Kwamé Azure Gomez’s work, this exploration extends beyond the visual realm, echoing Fred Moten’s notion of Blackness as a social relation and chromatic descriptor. Gomez’s work beckons us to probe the sensation of color, going beyond appearance to investigate the implications of color on our very social experiences. Through a quotidian lens, the canvas becomes not just a site of aesthetic inquiry, but a space where the politics of color intersect with questions of identity, power, and sentimental experience.

As Moten suggests in his 2008 article “The Case of Blackness”, the color black exceeds the visual field, and in this legacy, Gomez’s work invites us to consider the depths and impact of color beyond chromatic descriptors.In this exploration, the surface becomes a site of interrogation, a threshold where the exchange between the phenomenological category of color and the chromatic descriptor of color unfolds.

Gomez uses varying levels of opacity and transparency to create an evocative interplay, reminiscent of memory or fleeting moments. Figures emerge and recede, blurring the boundaries between presence and absence, visibility and invisibility. This manipulation of transparency serves as a note on visibility, and is informed by teachings by Art historian and professor Dr. Sampada Aranke and Fred Moten’s exploration of the visibility and invisibility of Blackness.

Moreover, Gomez’s use of assemblage techniques further enriches the dialogue between surface and depth. Many works become a collage of physical pieces, assembled to evoke a sense of fragmented narratives and layered meanings. Within Kwamé’s practice, the canvas becomes a liminal space where rituals of self reflection, reality, philosophical processing and imagination intertwine, reflecting the multifaceted nature of identity and experience. Here, color works as a social relation posed as an aesthetic question, inviting viewers to navigate the vibrant layers of meaning and connection embedded within each artwork.

As we explore the depths of Kwamé’s art, may we engage in a deep investigation of the surfaces and epistemologies that shape our understanding of color and its material and affective implications on our social relations.

— ­­­­­chris d. reeder

Kwamé Azure Gomez (b. 1999 Akron, OH) is a Chicago based interdisciplinary painter, and writer. Inspired by an interest in the abstraction of daily life, physics, temporality, entropy, divination philosophy and human nature, Gomez explores the personal rituals and ceremonies of self-reflection, affirmation, intuitive guidance, free will and choice. Gomez earned their MFA from the School of the Art Institute, Chicago and their BFA from the University of Akron. They received an Emerging Artist grant from New American Paintings and the following year was selected for New American Paintings MFA Issue 165. Gomez’s work was featured in i-D Magazine for Cierra Britton’s group exhibition, A Color Story. Their work has been exhibited at New Image Art Gallery in West Hollywood, California; SoLA Contemporary in Los Angeles, CA; Stony Island Arts bank, Chicago, IL; Anthony Gallery Chicago, IL; and Dada Gallery, London, among others.

@_kwame.azuregomez

Atlanta-born on Creek and Cherokee land, chris d. reeder, is a scholar, curator, and arts administrator based in Chicago. Their academic journey through Spelman College and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) was driven by a deep interest in Black feminist anthropology and Diasporic Studies. Investigating the intersection of culture, memory, and art, they interrogate the influence of visual expression on social consciousness. At Mariane Ibrahim, chris blends writing, research, and gallery administration, while their independent practice encompasses bookmaking, exhibitions, and public art projects.

@chrisdreeder

Riverside Arts Center
32 East Quincy Street
Riverside, IL 60546
www.riversideartscenter.com

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Tags: chris d. reeder, Freeark Gallery, Kwamé Azure Gomez, Riverside, Riverside Arts Center