OREKA JAMES | A SUPER REFRACTED BEAM SURELY SPINS INTO SWEET SURRENDER

From November 12 to December 17, 2022.

Using an amalgamation of materials, Oreka James explores the connections between fabricated and literal scapes, the extraordinary and the mundane, potentially to reach a revelation. Believing animism to be the link to an unveiling of possibilities and realities, James composes works that become activated in the space they occupy. In a bid to give them life, James explores the beauty of orality, at times transposing objects and symbols that hold cultural values and beliefs and serve as placeholders to the unknown. Fascinated with African-Caribbean folklore and comparative mythology, they often make reference to characters from age-old tales, proverbs and material culture.

Beings emerging from the dark, or manifesting in the light, the scenes depict a curiosity between the metaphysical and spirituality. They intimately visit moments of love and loss, joy and loneliness, and the playful quarrel between life and death, often arriving at vibrant animations. Oils and acrylics heavily lather smooth surfaces while found objects are transformed into structures that beckon for connection. In James’s works, moments, visions and memories are transmuted into vivid stories.