Jamea Richmond-Edwards Presents an Exhibition at MOCA North Miami
This winter at MOCA North Miami, Jamea Richmond-Edwards’s solo show “Ancient Future,” curated by Adeze Wilford, brings together new work that showcases the artist’s exploration of cyclical time and mythology. On view is the artist’s largest piece to date, measuring 30 feet in length, as well as a new video and performance the week of the fairs in Miami. Whitewaller spoke with Richmond-Edwards about exposing viewers to mythological spaces and psychedelic worlds.
WHITEWALLER: What was the starting point for your show at MOCA North Miami, “Ancient Future”?
JAMEA RICHMOND-EDWARDS: This exhibition conceptually started about three years ago. During the 2020 pandemic, I began extensively researching ancient history and became quite inspired by my findings.
Digging into a history that expands beyond the construct of “Blackness” and this American historical framework, I discovered in my investigation how cyclical time is. I just became very intrigued by that, especially when the pandemic hit. That was an opportunity for discovery in itself, and so during that time, I really jumped into this research and study of ancient histories around the globe.
From these studies, I also started noticing parallels. We saw uprisings in 2020, and prior to that, we saw it in the 1960s, and then even prior to that, it’s a continuum. So, as I began really diving deep into the history, that’s when my inspiration shifted into mythology. From that, I looked at this exhibition as an opportunity both for me to understand this time and also as a way for me to incorporate some of this mythos as it relates to melanated people.
There’s a quote from Confucius that states, “To define the future, one must study the past.” So I decided to use the past, particularly ancient mythos, as a catalyst in imagining the future.
The Exhibition Features Jamea Richmond-Edwards’s Largest Work to Date
WW: A monumental painting serves as the centerpiece for this show. Can you tell us about this work?
JRE: I’m creating an 8-by-30-foot painting, which is my largest to date. This painting is a symbol of transcendence that extends to a world of imagination and possibility outside of this current construct we live in.
Being able to have the physical space to create a completely new painting of this scale feels important in itself. The exhibition and the space have both contributed to the development of my skills as an artist, as well as my imagination.
Jamea Richmond-Edwards, “Shirt with Lace Heart,” 2018, Acrylic, spray paint, glitter, ink, collage on canvas, 72 x 128 inches overall; photo by Chi Lam, courtesy of Rubell Museum, Miami and Washington DC.
WW: Can you walk us through how visitors will experience the show? How did you think about its beginning and end with curator Adeze Wilford?
JRE: I view this body of work as “world-building.” I want the viewer to feel as if they’re literally walking into another dimension or portal—as if they’re stepping into these worlds, these universes. In working with Adeze, we both imagined and prioritized so much of this “world-building” as an opportunity to look at these histories and narratives and recontextualize them for the viewer.
Richmond-Edwards’s Exhibition will be Activated by Performers
WW: The show includes a video featuring a performance by a majorette dance team. Can you tell us about this work, how you arrived at that subject, and what it was like to create this video piece?
JRE: The film is about seven minutes and explores aesthetics of beauty and fashion across generations. The video is inspired by a painting I completed in 2020 called Procession for the Return of the Ancient Ones that features dancers marching in a procession. The film picks up where that painting left off. A former drum major from Jackson State University alongside dancers from Atlanta’s Dancing Dolls are marching through the cosmos evoking the spirit of the dragon.
WW: Can you tell us about the performance by the same majorette dance team that will take place during Miami Art Week?
JRE: Inspired by the painting Procession for the Return of the Ancient Ones and the film Ancient Future, we thought that it would be a great idea to bring dancers into the space to activate it. I wanted to also bring in an aspect of Florida, so the majorettes who will be performing during art week are actually from Florida Memorial University, which is an HBCU near the museum. As I was working, the influence of location became important to the body of work, and I wanted to highlight that in the performance.
Jamea Richmond-Edwards, “Prom Kween,” 2019, Ink, acrylic, mixed media, colored pencil, fabric, glitter, and rhinestones on canvas, 77 x 72 inches; photo courtesy of Kravets Wehby Gallery.
Jamea Richmond-Edwards, “The Prettiest Dress,” 2019 (diptych), ink, acrylic, mixed media, colored pencil, fabric, glitter, and rhinestones on canvas, 80 x 57 x 4.5 inches, photo courtesy of Kravets Wehby Gallery.
