Saint & Shepherds: New Work by Hebru Brantley

As we prepare for FWMoA’s largest fundraiser of the year, the ArtRageous Gala, this exhibition will be closed March 1-4.

Saints & Shepherds is an exploration of modern day mythology through the contemporary Afro-Futuristic lens of Hebru Brantley.

In Brantley’s Negros Mythos world, heroes can be Saints and Shepherds : Shepherds, the Purveyors of Culture, and Saints, the ‘outliers’ – those that are blossoming into new leaders by bringing forward a new way of thought. The stories of saints are often embellished and revered when they pass on, while in their lifetime their ideas or ways are not always welcomed. This exhibition is a celebration of being a Shepherd and a Saint, echoing the process of going from adolescence to adulthood, from supporter to leader.

In the context of Sainthood, we are challenged to explore the definition of a hero. Themes of idolization and leadership are explored. In the current cultural system, previously accepted norms and expectations are being called into question and one is increasingly challenged to choose who their role models are based on their own set of values. This show explores the dichotomy of breaking down past role models by cultural reappropriation, while also building them up in the celebration of mythology itself. There is also a duality in the concept of reappropriation: where the current culture has often appropriated aspects of Black culture, Hebru flips this concept, reimagining traditionally Anglo-Saxon superheroes as people of color.

This exhibition is curated by Thinkspace Projects and Josef Zimmerman, Curator of Contemporary Art.

This exhibition is sponsored by