Tyger Tyger Gallery is delighted to announce its upcoming solo exhibition, When We See Us, featuring the bright, bold and vibrant artwork of local artist Lakisha Blount. Born in the historic Black community of Texana, North Carolina, Blount honors the essence of her experiences and generational stories of Black mountain life in Appalachia through her figurative oil paintings. Many of the artist’s subjects are representative of her deep sense of memory and connection to real people in her life, like the matriarchs of her family. Some works are of no particular person – instead, Blount captures her own version of Black mountain men. Narrative content is woven throughout her work, with subjects that harken moments of daily life such as Sunday Tag, depicting two little girls playing tag after church, or Fontana Rising, a vision of the significant creation and destruction of a town through a dream lens.

Dense with skins of oil paint built up to create gritty ridges and marks, the artist’s canvases speak through layers of their own history as she shape-shifts her subjects and their environments, often working deep into the night. Pointing to a work in progress featuring a portrait in silhouette during a recent studio visit with Mira Gerard, owner and director of Tyger Tyger Gallery, Blount explained: “She’s a self-portrait– for now, at least. That may change as I work on her more.” She is working within the long tradition of painters whose work is encountered as it is made, through a process that involves paying careful attention to what the painting is telling her rather than asserting directorial control.

Lakisha Blount’s work imagines, positions, memorializes, and asserts African diasporic experiences by highlighting and celebrating the voices and narratives of Black and brown individuals as they see themselves. In the artist’s own words, “I want to create a space where Black stories are not just told, but celebrated and preserved. It’s about creating visibility, fostering a sense of belonging, and ensuring that our narratives are seen and valued in the world.”

The opening reception for When We See Us will be held on the evening of July 12th, 2024 from 6-8 pm. The artist, Lakisha Blount, will be in attendance, as well as the curator of the exhibition, Tyger Tyger owner and artist Mira Gerard. Light refreshments will be served. A subsequent artist talk at the gallery will be held on Thursday, August 8th, from 6-8pm, while the exhibition is on view.

Contact or follow Tyger Tyger Gallery for more information on upcoming exhibitions and events.