EXHIBITING ARTISTS:
Mariane Ibrahim announces its inaugural booth (Booth #M02) at the 2019 edition of MECA Art Fair in Puerto Rico.
The gallery exhibited works by artists, Clotilde Jiménez and Florine Démosthène for its presentation at the fair, the duo’s work aligned with the fairs pursuits to bring visibility to the region.
Jiménez body of work focuses largely on depicting the ways in which racism and homophobia shape individual lives, celebrating the nuances of being a queer and black hispanic male. The artist presents a triptych, the three works replicating figures inspired by the boxing style made popular by Mike Tyson in the 80’s. Furthermore the pieces are are imbued with playful gestures as the title “Peekaboo” comes from a children's game. The gesture acts as a metaphor for old notions of his feelings of coming out to his family in a hypermasculine environment. The various flags appearing in the backdrop of the pieces works as an international anchor, stressing the importance of creating a space where everyone is treated equally.
In parallel, the duality of Démosthène’s figures, often multiplied, question stereotypical and two-dimensional notions of the Black female body, exploring rigid definitions of Blackness. Her contemporary take on the body, in the form of multi-media paintings and collage, represent otherworldly dystopian characteristics, furthering the artists’ study of our divine spirit. Démosthène’s heroines criticize beauty canons through the narrative of her self-made feminine heros.
