Adeshola Makinde Champions Black Excellence in ‘I SHOOK UP THE WORLD’

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Who determines the narratives of history? Adeshola Makinde frequently ponders this question as he steps into his studio. Born and raised on Chicago’s Northside, the Nigerian-American artist remembers the voids in his education regarding Black history, so he aims to connect the dots in his multi-media work, merging pieces from politics, sports, and entertainment, to initiate fresh conversations about his personal exploration of Black awareness

Makinde is presenting a fresh solo exhibition titled “I Shook Up the World” at Anthony Gallery, inspired by Muhammad Ali’s triumphant declaration after defeating Sonny Liston in a post-match interview. In this series of new collage works, Makinde highlights Black excellence by combining fragments from Ebony and Jet magazines to create unique narratives about significant Black historical figures that often go unacknowledged in a world that tends to overlook their contributions. As he shared with Hypeart, Makinde aims to reframe this excellence through his art

Additionally displayed are enlarged black-and-white halftone images of past icons, including Richard Pryor, Tupac Shakur, Jackie Brown, and Nina Simone. Makinde often compares his collage style to the method a hip hop producer uses when sampling a song: “Just like this radical act, which was not always appreciated or embraced, has produced some of the most impactful music in our lives, it has also illuminated tunes that might have been overlooked or forgotten. I aim to incorporate this ideology throughout my artistic journey, and this new collection continues to advance this objective.”

I SHOOK UP THE WORLD will be on view in Chicago until September 28, 2024.

Anthony Gallery
1360 W Lake St,
Chicago, IL 60607

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2024-09-06 01:58