I Won’t Leave as I Came
@ VSG Contemporary
673 N Milwaukee Ave Chicago IL 60642
Opening Saturday, September 13th, from 12PM - 6PM
On view through Saturday, October 4th
Join us for a rare all-day opening of Oscar Joyo’s second solo exhibition with the gallery, I Won’t Leave as I Came.
Born in Malawi and based in Chicago, Joyo returns to the roots of his origin story, exploring a childhood he scarcely remembers through the lens of an American who doesn’t always feel accepted. With hyper-realistic portraiture and an elevated sense of self, he expands on his ongoing series Ubuntu—a Chichewa word meaning, “I am what I am because of all of you.”
This collection reflects on the power of community and the duality of identity as both an African immigrant and a Black American. In a moment when immigrants face renewed hostility from government policies, Joyo reframes migration as a source of strength rather than fear. His work wrestles with anger, sadness, and guilt at being far from Malawi, while seeking resonances between his homeland and his chosen home of Chicago.
As a Black immigrant in a city he loves, Joyo continues to evolve, transform, and progress. When he can visit Malawi next, he will not leave as he came.
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Tags: Chicago, Oscar Joyo, River West, VSG Contemporary
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