Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Na Terra de Oshumare by Werllayne Nunes

Jogo sem Fronteiras by Werllayne Nunes

Girafas No Lago de Olokum by Werllayne Nunes

Werllayne Nunes: Dance of the Colors in the Zumbi Nation


Opening Reception
Thursday, February 14th, 2008
7pm-10pm

Artist Talk
Saturday, February 16th, 2008
2pm-4pm

For those seeking to add culture to their Valentine's Day celebration, check out the opening of Dance das cores na Nacao Zumbi (Dance of Colors in the Zumbi Nation) opening at Diaspora Vibe Gallery in Miami's Design District on the evening of February 14th.  This series of paintings by Brazilian artist Werllayne Nunes depicts a vibrant and dynamic celebration of color, migration, and the legacy of African ancestry.  However, this work is not really just a comment on the lifestyle of the Zumbi Nation: actually, it's about us!

Monday, February 11, 2008

Diaspora Vibe Gallery on Myspace.com

Check out our Diaspora Vibe Gallery Myspace Page!!!



Strange Fruit by Ayanna Jolivet McCloud

Strange Fruit by Ayanna Jolivet McCloud

Strange Fruit by Ayanna Jolivet McCloud

Strange Fruit by Ayanna Jolivet McCloud

Strange Fruit by Ayanna Jolivet McCloud

Strange Fruit by Ayanna Jolivet McCloud


Photos from Ayanna Jolivet McCloud's Strange Fruit.

Strange Fruit was performed early December 2008 in Miami's Art Convention Center on Lincoln Road.  

"My work weaves a web of relationships around landscapes, both real and imagined.  Working in different media.  I'm interested in looking beyond the surface to frame the unseen -- spatially, metaphysically, and politically.  Elements such as dreaming, ritual, orality, memory, labor and play are central in my explorations.  I believe memory and languages are often encoded in the body and seek to frame these sensorial ways of knowing."  -- Ayanna Jolivet McCloud.

For more information about Ayanna Jolivet McCloud, check out her website.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

What does "DIASPORA" mean?

According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language,

SYLLABICATION:  Di-as-po-ra

NOUN:  1. the dispersion of Jews outside of Israel from the sixth century B.C., when they were exiled to Babylonia, until the present time.  2. often diaspora The body of Jews of Jewish communities outside of Palestine or modern Israel.  3. diaspora a. a dispersion of a people from their original homeland.  b. the community formed by such a people: "the glutinous dish known throughout the (West African) diaspora as ... fufu" (Jonell Nash, Essence February 1996).  4. diaspora a dispersion of an originally homogeneous entity, such as a language or culture: "the diaspora of English into several mutually incomprehensible languages" (Randolph Quirk).

ETYMOLOGY:  Greek diaspora, dispersion, from diaspeirein, to spread about: dia-, apart; see dia + speirein, to sow, scatter, see sper  in Appendix I.

OTHER FORMS:  diasporic, diasporal -- ADJECTIVE

The Sublime Essence of Being Now & Then: The Paintings of Helene Weiss

Diaspora Vibe Gallery Presents:
The Sublime Essence of Being Now & Then: 
The Paintings of Helene Weiss

An Off the Wall/Experimental Series

Opening Reception
Thursday, January 31st, 2008
7pm - 9pm

Artist Talk
Saturday, February 2nd, 2008
2pm - 4pm

Location
Diaspora Vibe Gallery
3938 North Miami Avenue
Miami Design Destrict, FL 33127
305.573.4046

Exhibition runs through February 9th, 2008

Fish by Deborah Jack


Leaf by Deborah Jack

Floor by Deborah Jack

Face by Deborah Jack


Deborah Jack's current project has evolved into an exploration of the difference/similarity between home/homing.  The images deal with the fracturing of home space that occurs in the Diasporic body.  The issues of globalization such as the crossing of borders, the need for constant identification; the search continues to traumatize the "othered" body.  However, fissures that exist between the ruptured spaces, which are evidence of trauma, are for me also sites of healing.

Rusted Crane by Lynn Parotti


Lynn Parotti's new collection of paintings are a series of contrasts.  From the perspective of the sea out of which rises Athol Island in the Bahamas, and huge cranes building a financial empire in Canary Wharf, the financial district of London and obvious terrorist target, we see the story of the politics of power.

Here the crane is seen as a main component of construction.  In these paintings it takes on an almost mythical energy; it has the capacity to build at the Canary Wharf, though tall, thin, almost fragile structure seems to contain and reflect within it the contradictions of its environment in the heart of London's financial market.

The Safety Zone Artists

Opening Night

Safe and Secure by Holly Parotti


In Holly Parotti's portfolio of work, you will most often find an object that has been analyzed to reveal its function.  The artist critiques the expected purpose of the object and then uses the image to dictate a personal or social commentary.

Safety Zones: Art Basel/ Miami Exhibit


Caribbean Artists explore the notion of safety zones and question where these are located? Who has access?  What is this notion of safety?  Does it apply to all?

Curator
Rosie Gordon-Wallace

Featured Artists
Deborah Jack, Jean Chiang, John Cox, Erman, Danny Ramirez, Luisa Mesa, Gail Ruiz, Rodney Jackson, Tere Pastoriza, Holly Parotti, Natalia Vasquez, Natalia Schonowski & Aurora Molina, Carolina Vasquez, Dinorah de Jesus Rodriguez, Gerardo Gonzalez Quevedo, Ian Colon & William Thomas Porter, Alejandro Contreras, Lynn Parotti

Show/Event Dates
December 4th - January 25th, 2008
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 11am - 6pm

Location
3938 North Miami Avenue
Miami Design Destrict
Miami, FL 33137
305.573.4046
305.573.7675

This is not a typical commercial gallery space.

At Diaspora Vibe, our mission is to promote, nurture and cultivate the vision and diverse talent of emerging artists from the Latin and Caribbean Diaspora through the artists in residence program, international exchanges, community and youth activities that celebrate Miami's rich cultural and social fabric.

We are a Cultural Arts Incubator.

Join Us,
Share with Us,
Welcome to the Diaspora Vibe Gallery!