Fall 2021 Takeover Resident

During their tenure at Compound Yellow, curator Ciera McKissick of AMFM highlighted the work of emerging artists, many of them artists of color, through two exhibitions, collaborative programming like Tanda with Chuquimarca, performances from local artists, activations like Makers Day, where people were able to learn new skills from artists, and conversations with featured artists about their work.

Featured Artists and events

Marcelo Eli Sarmiento

The works from this exhibition spanned across five years from 2016-2021. In his first solo exhibition since 2017, Eli’s work has matured and evolved not only in medium, but also in focus. From roaming the rooms of Old Masters and Art of the Americas at the Art Institute, to his first visit outside of the US to Mexico in late 2015 to learn about the vastly rich, powerful and beautiful history of Mexico and Mesoamerica — the subject has found its way into his visual language to refine and focus on a body of work that presents the beginning of a journey of discovery and research in tune with his LatinX heritage.

Marcelo Eli Sarmiento presented new works on paper and paintings in a solo exhibition, De Sangre De Tierra y De Oro, which translates to “Of Blood Of Earth And Of Gold.” The title is a reference to his bloodline, his ancestral connection, and our connection to the earth and indigenous cultures. In these selected works, Eli primarily works in oil paint and pastels, and experiments with watercolor and text, using his ink drawing practice as a base to present his research and visual studies exploring the cultural roots of ancient Mexico and Mesoamerica. Through this process, he presents the human figure and its representation to give weight, importance, and attention to how the Mexican and Meso American Indians presented themselves through artifacts and historical emblems.

This process of uncovering his cultural heritage and ancestors — their history, theology, living practices, and artistic expressions, is a way for him and the viewer to connect and identify with a cultural influence that isn't considered or spotlighted in the US, especially as first-and second-generation U.S citizens are oftentimes disconnected from the source, archaeological sites, people, and culture of their roots. This exhibition offers a space for memory and healing from the generational trauma of unknowing.

In Good Hands

*In Good Hands* was a group exhibition that featured queer and women artists who create with their hands through the lens of photography, textile, fiber, text, sculpture, installation, and painting. Featured artists included Bimbola Akinbola, Chi Nwosu, Jacqueline Surdell, Jacquelyn Carmen Guerrero, Jane Georges, Sophia English, Sydnie Jiminez, and Vidushi Lohia.

The idiom “in good hands” is defined as to be in the care of a person or people who are able to take care of someone or something well. Oftentimes, women and femme identifying individuals are defaulted to be the caretaker. Women and queer artists are also celebrated one month out of the year from exhibitions, to talks, and highlights. To care is a spectrum, as is making; therefore if you are in the care of a maker, you are in good hands. Care is centered around the intention and attention to the work and by the hand that offers it.

In Good Hands is a group exhibition that featured queer and women artists who create with their hands through the lens of photography, textile, fiber, text, sculpture, installation, and painting. Featured artists included Bimbola Akinbola, Chi Nwosu, Jacqueline Surdell, Jacquelyn Carmen Guerrero, Jane Georges, Sophia English, Sydnie Jiminez, and Vidushi Lohia.

From the soft gouache paintings of Bimbola Akinbola’s family intricately woven, to the small soft plush hand sewn pieces from Jacquelyn Carmen Guerrero, and hand molded life size sculptures and tiles from Sydnie Jimenez, care is behind every touch. Each artist’s hands put in the work to create that which exists beyond the default.