Look in the mirror and tell yourself, “I was born to fly. So why would I live my life on the ground?” If you’re having trouble with that affirmation, Donald Calloway’s mirror assemblages at Irwin House will help.
The Detroit artist’s pieces are on display in the gallery’s latest group show, titled We. Look. Good.
Calloway arranges found objects around mirrors with uplifting messages of self-love and acceptance. Pieces come together to form a Black woman whose torso is a mirror that says, “Some say your big lips, dark skin, and kinky hair make you ugly, but you are beautiful to me!”
The show highlights emerging and established artists of color, but you won’t see any Black pain or political protest work here. In this show, Black artists and gallery goers are invited to celebrate the joy and beauty of being. Their work provides a respite from the weight of negative self-talk and oppressive mainstream beauty standards.
“There’s a lot of sociopolitical art and trauma art. We need to express that, and we need to see and collect that, but we also need to balance it,” says Irwin House director Misha McGlown. “I wanted to put together a show that didn’t have any of that and instead introduced different concepts of beauty and self-acceptance, because people — and not just Black people — are really struggling internally.”
Nigerian artist Rotimi Godwin’s portraits of subjects with leopard print skin are surrounded by thriving plants and flowers, encouraging viewers to find solace in nature and embrace their flaws.
“In my paintings, I represent human limitations, strength, and weaknesses using the rosette camouflage I print on the skin,” Godwin says in a promo video for the exhibition. “It’s just a way of showing that beauty can be found even in everybody, no matter what we are, no matter how we may look like.”
A lush red room dedicated entirely to Detroit photographer Dalejuan highlights women embracing their sensuality. An opulent photo of a Black woman grazing on fruit during a solo picnic reminds us that the luxury of self-care doesn’t need a special occasion to be part of our routine. While Dalejuan’s photos reinforce the male gaze on Black female bodies, they also show Black women as a most natural work of art.
Other works in the show include Phil Simpson’s fine art portraits, Elonte Davis’s photography, and Jami Young’s paintings of a reverent stretched-earlobe subject that conjure up images of Buddha. Ackeem Salmon, Ivan Quinones II, Cara Marie Young, Jimel Primm, Euba Thomas, and Olivia Indigo are also featured.
We. Look. Good. is on view at Irwin House Gallery until June 10 and the gallery will host a Live Art Garden Party on Saturday, May 28. Exhibition hours are 12-7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 12- 6 p.m. Sundays at 2351 Grand Blvd., Detroit.
Location Details
Fore more information see irwinhousegallery.org.
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