sacred

sacred | Opening Reception

Thursday, February 26th from 7 PM - 9 PM

Sovern LA and is pleased to present sacred, a new group exhibition curated by Naomi Stewart with support from curatorial assistant Bamelak Wendwossen Tesfaye. This exhibition calls for the embodiment of the sacred within the Black soul whilst navigating white-body supremacy and generational trauma—building self-fortitude. sacred includes artists Patrick Chuka, Tiffany Ann Conway, Dellis Frank, Natou Fall, and Lisa Diane Wedgeworth. Through their art practices, which alchemize grief, embrace rest, and celebrate creativity, the artists weave threads of resilience that honor both personal and collective healing.

Souls inhabiting Black bodies bear generational burdens of labor, trauma, and erasure. The term sacred can be referred to as something set apart, to be regarded with reverence and great respect. What would it mean for the Black sojourner to view themselves as set apart—sacred? How does this aid in our protest? Reclaiming reverence for our body, mind, history, and soul's mission steadies our foundation—our protest. This thread of resilience honors embodied and collective wisdom rather than scarcity and fear.

Stewart's curatorial approach was led by intuition, dreamspace, and anthropological methodologies. Through studio visits and cross-disciplinary engagement with Black liberation texts, marronage texts, psychology, archival practice, and indigenous wisdom traditions, Stewart assembled artists whose practices embody the sacred through these layered perspectives.

Together, these artworks transform the gallery into a portal—a sanctuary where collective wisdom guides contemporary expression, allowing visitors to engage with the sacred within. There will be supplemental programming throughout the exhibition run to provide opportunities for deeper exploration of the exhibition themes.

A note on accessibility: Sovern LA is committed to creating a space that is welcoming and accessible to all. At this time, our building does not have ramps, which limits physical access for some community members. We recognize this as an area that needs improvement and are actively working toward making the space more accessible. We do our best to accommodate people of varying abilities and encourage anyone with specific access needs to reach out before attending so we can support you as best we can.

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Sovern, 5757 West Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States

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