June Edmonds' Meditations on African Resilience at Luis de Jesus Los Angeles

Named a ‘Must-See’ by Artsy, MacDowell Fellow June Edmonds’ (23) third solo exhibition at Luis de Jesus Los Angeles, Meditations on African Resilience, debuted new paintings the artist was creating in MacDowell’s Eastman Studio in the summer of 2023. Exploring themes of resilience and memory, the “artworks, pulsating with deep, resonant colors, layer this emblem with abstract forms and textures.” (Maxwell Rabb, Artsy)

These acrylic-based works on linen and canvas “find inspiration in the emblem of the river leaf (ebe-amẹn) — an ancient and sacred quatrefoil used prominently in the Kingdom of Benin (also known as the Edo Kingdom or the Benin Empire)… — to symbolize the power and regality of kings, healers, and deities, and as a spiritual symbol for unity, balance, and protection,” the gallery explains. Edmonds adopted and adapted the river leaf symbol to “restore and reclaim its power in the present, and use it as a tool for resilience to its contemporary heirs, not just ancient African nobility.”

“I am using this inspired symbol to do the same,” Edmonds says, “but the power and resilience is ours. It belongs to all of us. It always was ours. All we must do is learn and remember the greatness of our history. This body of work can be seen as a constellation that guides us to the freedom that can come from these meditations.”

At the close of her MacDowell Residency, Edmonds said, “MacDowell was an amazing art-gift that will forever be one of the best that I have experienced in my lifetime. Eastman studio was spectacular,” also noting a number of staff members.

June Edmonds: Meditations on African Resilience was on view through April 13, 2024, at Luis De Jesus Los Angeles.

Read about other new works supported by MacDowell Fellowships.

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