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Over the past two weeks, The Informer was honored to attend several monumental presentations. The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) hosted events surrounding the opening of its show entitled “The Culture: Hip-Hop & Contemporary Art in the 21st Century.” Then, Honfleur Gallery and Homme DC both hosted presentations in D.C. over the weekend.
Baltimore Museum of Art
The BMA’s group showing was co-organized with the Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM) and will travel to the Midwest in late summer 2023. BMA Director, Asma Naeem, and SLAM’s Director Min Jung Kim were in attendance. The Studio Museum in Harlem’s Director, Thelma Golden, was even spotted at the opening event. Smithsonian events aside, DMV art events generally lack the support of the art world. However, this opening was arguably the strongest showing of community and culture in the region, in recent memory.
The presentation covered 50 years of hip hop, as represented by over 60 contemporary works, fashion and design installations, as well as video works. Some memorable points in the exhibition were one Jean-Michel Basquiat work, Khalil Joseph’s video works featuring music by Kendrick Lamar, and the fashion display featuring clothing by Virgil Abloh and Telfar Clemmons. Notable artists spotted were Baltimore’s Derrick Adams and Devin Allen, DC’s Emmanuel Massillon, and New York-based abstract painter Tariku Shiferaw.
Honfleur Gallery
Honfleur Gallery’s closing reception for Shaolin Jazz’s “Sound Patterns No. 8.” This locally sourced collective features an exploration of martial arts within a Black aesthetic. If you’re struggling to conceptualize, think: Wu-Tang Clan meets Blacksploitation films. If you love Jim Kelley and the RZA, then this was the place for you!
The vibes, as brought to you by DJ Two Tone, were second to none and reminiscent of the old D.C. While the art was largely more decorative than technical, artist Imani K. Brown presented a triptych of works that showed promise. Attendance at any DJ set hosted by Shaolin Jazz is highly recommended.
Homme DC
Rik Holden, known as “Rikasso,” had a solo showing at Homme DC and Hines Real Estate’s collaborative pop-up. Centered around a home listing, the venue left art enthusiasts doing more home inspection than otherwise expected at a show. That being said, the art spoke for itself. Self-taught, Holden applies a curious blend of surrealism and realism.
On first seeing the work, it appeared that Mickalene Thomas had been overtaken by the Cartoon Network.
Holden applies a mixture of oil, acrylic, gouache, watercolor, and house paint to fabricate his narrative.
When asked what inspired him to paint this way, Holden explained, “During the Renaissance, they used Black subjects and turned them white. I’m just reverting that and adding things that I liked.”
A student of art history, Holden explained that one of his favorite works used Pompeii as a reference painting. Though lacking representation and a measurable trajectory, Holden certainly holds promise with the right guidance.