Exhibition

Summer Solos 2008

July 1 - August 15

Artists’ Reception: Friday, July 11, 6-8 pm
Artists’ Talk: Saturday, July 19, 1 pm

Summer Solos 2008 is an exhibition of three projects exploring the topics of race, identity, and cultural hybridity. The exhibition features installations by artists Ken Lo, Ala Ebtekar, and CalliGRAFFitti, a collaboration between calligraphy artist Minette Lee Mangahas and three generations of graffiti writers.

Ken Lo’s video and sculpture installation focuses on the intersections between the perception of Chinese culture and the self aggrandizement of American Basketball. He uses humor, fantasy, and parody to depict racism and stereotypes, resulting in original and unexpected  works relevant to Oakland and the Bay Area today.

Berkeley born artist Ala Ebtekar fuses traditional Iranian imagery with American hip-hop iconography. His work weaves urban culture, history and mythology. Ebtekar has shown widely in the Bay Area and has exhibited internationally including The Third Line in Dubai and  the Nordiska Akvarellmuseet in Skarhamn, Sweeden.

CalliGRAFFitti is a project focusing on the synergies between East Asian calligraphy and urban American graffiti word art forms. On display are the works resulting from the collaboration between calligraphic painter Minette Lee Mangahas and nine graffiti writers from seven cities around the country. By demonstrating the shared qualities of modern graffiti letterforms and ancient techniques of East Asian calligraphy, the project works to expand the community's understanding of these two genres—their historical and cultural roots, the role that they play in public space and personal expression, and their power as visual artforms used to mark cultural identities today. Collaborators include Amend One, Apex, Coby Kennedy, Denz, Desi, Lucha, Meow, Toons, and Zen One.