Press Release - "Domestic Dive" by Muzae Sesay
Domestic Dive
March 10th - April 6th
Oakland pt.2:
pt.2: invites you to “Domestic Dive” a solo exhibition by Muzae Sesay. The opening reception will be held on March 10th from 12pm to 10pm at pt.2: at 1523b Webster St. in Downtown Oakland. The gallery is conveniently located off of both 12th and 19th St. Bart Stations. To receive a preview of the exhibition before the opening reception please contact info@part2gallery.com.
"Growing into Nostalgia"
Oil and Oil Pastel on Canvas. 24 x 43 Inches. 2017.
Domestic Dive frames the recollection of home and community as a central concept from which to analyze the fragmentation and validity of beliefs and memory. When attempting to understand ideology in context to oneself, the home acts as a pivotal location to investigate the origins of thought. Memories become the foundation for contextualizing emotion, morality, and social consciousness; however, the dogmas created tend to be strict and ridged while based upon perceived facts, biases, and subject to a multitude of influences. Beliefs that stem from our recollections and memories are then perceived and accepted as fundamental truths. The impact of holding thoughts as truths impervious to critique are humans existing in an infinite amount of realities simultaneously with selective consensus. Domestic Dive identifies the fallacies we hold true while recalling our most intimate spaces.
In this body of work, parallels are drawn to the formation of ideology through questioning “truths” within memory. Certain works depict the struggle of trying to accurately remember a space from the past; small aspects or vignettes shift and blend together without a clear picture of the space as a whole. Others play with manipulating memory through a process of implanting a fake consciousness of a fake space; remembering how it felt to be somewhere that physically exists nowhere. Both approaches demonstrate a critical lens on memory; how fluid and individualistic we can be and yet how it completely shapes the world we collectively live in.
Like the variations of how and what we choose to internalize, each guest visiting these paintings is encouraged to take on a unique perspective on how to interpret the composition. Opposed to an acute recollection of facts; focusing on atmosphere, color and rhythm reflects how we feel about specific memories. In painting as in thought, the emotional takeaway ends up surpassing the clarity of direct representation. Thus the guest is compelled to understand the space, question it's dimensionality, dive inside and walk around.
-Muzae Sesay
"Our Temne House"
Acrylic, oil, oil pastel, and graphite on Stretched Canvases. 60 x 72 Inch Diptych. 2017.