The Africa Centre has envisioned this exhibition as a time capsule representing the infinite nature of youth self-expression. In a world of countless possibilities, people on the margins often find themselves boxed into limiting stereotypes. Through Black portraiture by the artist Aliya Logun, this exhibition asks, “can blackness, Black bodies, and Black identity really be defined?”
This exhibition is a message for the future. If, 100 years from now, historians ask what Black youth were like at this moment, from this exhibition they would see that we were everything and anything.
Organized by the Africa Centre and the Art Gallery of Alberta. Curated by the Africa Centre. The RBC New Works Gallery features new artworks by Alberta artists and continues the Art Gallery of Alberta’s tradition of supporting and promoting Alberta artists.
About the Curators
Yar Anyieth is the coordinator of the Africa Centre’s YEG TheComeUp. Taking on the role in late 2022, Yar’s main focus is empowering youth of African descent to love and celebrate their strengths. Her hobbies include creating and consuming art, reading, and researching African history.
Iqmat Iyiola is an undergraduate student and researcher at the University of Alberta. Joining the Aftica Centre’s YEG TheComeUp in 2023, Iqmat is a member of the Arts and Culture task force and leads the collective's weekly opportunities board. In her spare time, Iqmat enjoys giving back to the community, writing poetry, and improv.
Liisa Otchie joined the Africa Centre’s YEG TheComeUp in late 2019 to gain hands-on experience in community engagement. She is currently the collective’s Arts and Culture task force lead. In her spare time, Liisa enjoys creating art, reading, and creative writing. Her artistic interests are influenced by Ghanaian and African culture as a whole. She is currently interested in studying traditional African folktales and storytelling practices to use them as inspiration to generate new ones.
