Current Exhibition - Victorious at the Edge Harlem, 101 Edgecombe Avenue, New York City

Victorious is a an exhibition created in collaboration with Edge Harlem owners Juliet & Justine Masters that features the photography, paintings, and tapestry works of multi-hyphenate artists Kim Hill, Jessica Sarkodie, and Olivia Michele Merchant.

These works represent each artist’s expression of joy, birthright, and activism. For Olivia traveling is a radical act - an intentional exploration geared towards connecting to and nurturing her sense of belonging, feeling safe and ‘at home’ while communing and relying upon the kindness of strangers. Travel is an expression of her birthright to be free. In every place visited she actively seeks out opportunities to contribute and make a difference to each community, outside of mere tourism and consumption.

Kim’s work affirms that Black people are worthy of living beautiful lives without the need to appease white standards aimed at derailing Black people’s joy and happiness; a homage to the hedge of protection that her Mother and Grandmother formed around her, as well as the artistry that was passed from their hands to hers.

Jessica’s images were taken in her efforts to revisit the joy that was ever present in her childhood in Ghana. Now an adult, she has found this sense of joy amplified in settings of collective appreciation of someone or something. It is clear to her that the undeniable presence of joy, whether swimming at the beach on a hot summer day or marching at an annual festival was rooted in and heightened by community.

Victorious is our collective expression of our human experience as well as our African and Black American legacies.

All works are available for purchase and can be seen during operating hours or by appointment. Contact Olivia here for more info.