Displacement

MAIN GALLERY

By Ainsley Burrows
Curated by Jerry Truong

MAR. 17 - APR. 16, 2023

Displacement

MAIN GALLERY

By Ainsley Burrows
Curated by Jerry Truong

MAR. 17 - APR. 16, 2023

Displacement is an exhibition showcasing the impressive large-scale paintings by Ainsley Burrows, whose artistic vision draws inspiration from his dual heritage rooted in Kingston, Jamaica, and Brooklyn, NY. Burrows' recent body of work focuses on the profound experiences of immigration, aiming to challenge prevailing narratives that perpetuate the marginalization and exclusion faced by those who embark on this transformative journey.

Featured Above
Ainsley Burrows
The Long and Complicated History of America (detail), 2022
Acrylic on canvas, 74” x 192”
The DC Arts Center, Displacement, 2023


Featured Below

Ainsley Burrows
Separation Anxiety, 2022
Acrylic on canvas, 72” x 66”
The DC Arts Center, Displacement, 2023

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

"Displacement" is an exhibition of Ainsley Burrows' large-scale paintings, which are influenced by his upbringing in Kingston, Jamaica, and Brooklyn, NY. Burrows' artistic practice employs two distinct methodologies, NeoChaos and Raktism, each characterized by specific visual techniques and thematic concerns. NeoChaos explores the echoes of history that continue to shape the present, while Raktism reflects the complex and unpredictable flow of time. Burrows' recent work focuses on immigration and seeks to challenge dominant narratives of marginalization and exclusion faced by immigrants. The exhibition invites viewers to engage with the emotional landscape of migration and explore the artist's powerful exploration of identity, culture, and history.

Featured Above
Ainsley Burrows
The Long and Complicated History of America (detail), 2022
Acrylic on canvas, 74” x 192”
The DC Arts Center, Displacement, 2023


Featured Below

E.L. Briscoe
Id, Ego, Super Ego, 2020
Oil on birch wood, 42” x 50”
The DC Arts Center, Thought Bubbles, 2023
$6,000, purchase here

Opening Celebration
Friday, March 17, 2023
7:00 PM

Closing Reception
Sunday, April 16, 2023
6:00 PM

+ to Calendar

Artist Talk
Sunday, April 2, 2023
3:00 PM

+ to Calendar

EVENTS


EVENTS


Opening Celebration
Friday, March 17, 2023
7:00 PM

+ to Calendar

Artist Talk
Sunday, April 2, 2023
3:00 PM

+ to Calendar

Closing Reception
Sunday, April 16, 2023
6:00 PM

+ to Calendar

Displacement serves as a showcase of Ainsley Burrows' expansive and compelling paintings, where his artistic journey is profoundly shaped by his upbringing in both Kingston, Jamaica, and Brooklyn, NY. Within Burrows' artistic repertoire, he adeptly employs two distinct methodologies: NeoChaos and Raktism, each carrying distinct visual elements and intellectual underpinnings.

NeoChaos, characterized by its bold and vibrant expressions, explores history's enduring impact and the ongoing struggle to bring forth the legacies of the past into the present. Meanwhile, Raktism manifests through sharp, delineating lines and repetitive imagery, mirroring the intricate flow of time. These self-crafted artistic styles serve as a foundation for Burrows' distinctive viewpoint on the profound cultural and historical forces indelibly shaping his identity.

As an immigrant himself, Burrows' recent artistic endeavors delve into the complex realm of emotions that arise from alienation and the persistent quest for a sense of belonging. His creations courageously challenge the prevailing narratives of marginalization and exclusion faced by immigrants, advocating fervently for an inclusive and compassionate society. With art as his medium, Burrows wholeheartedly extends an invitation to the audience, urging them to intimately engage with the emotional landscape of migration, authentically expressing the inherent disorientation, hope, and frustration accompanying the experience of displacement.

Burrows' formal artistic approach deftly incorporates diverse techniques, all orchestrated to convey the multifaceted challenges immigrants encounter. Distorted forms and fragmented compositions poignantly articulate the struggles of forging an identity within the context of migration. Brilliant and vibrant colors joyously celebrate the richness and vibrancy of immigrant cultures while simultaneously conveying the potent emotions connected to trauma. Skillful use of symbolism and abstraction further magnifies the intricate emotional and cultural tapestry the immigrant experience embodies.

This exhibition offers a unique opportunity for viewers to immerse themselves in the captivating world of Burrows' art, replete with its vivid colors, textured canvases, evocative figures, and thought-provoking concepts. His profound exploration of identity, culture, and history urges for a more nuanced understanding of the emotional and social aspects surrounding migration, earnestly advocating for greater empathy and recognition of the profound experiences shared by immigrants.

FROM THE CURATOR

I am a multidisciplinary artist exploring personal histories, inherited trauma, and the intersections of the visual and emotional with the written and physical. My artistic practice provides a necessary outlet to my compulsive creativity and active mind, and my paintings communicate with my other creative pursuits—I am also a poet, musician, and performer. Working predominantly with acrylic on canvas, I lean into the tactility of the mediums I work with, using expressive gestures to apply paint and following its natural flow. I’ve utilized several styles, ranging from expressionism to cubism to folk art, to scrutinize and reimagine the colonial legacy of European artists like Picasso and Modigliani, while paying homage to Black artists including Basquiat and Lawrence.

Recently, I have begun to focus on a new method I call Raktism, exploring the fourth dimension with new paintings like Saint Notorious I (2021) and Minotaur (2021). These paintings are characterized by bright colors and soft shadows that often include abstract figures whose movements and features are choppy, creating the perception that we’re seeing them at different moments in time from various perspectives. Sharp lines box in figures while parts of their bodies escape the framing devices; the escaped parts appear refracted and/or create a visual echo from the shape that was intersected. This visual effect is intended to bring the image and space together while also paradoxically splitting it apart, so the viewer can feel the intensity of observing time and the movement inherent in the image even though the painting is static. I also often include representations of traditional African spiritual figures that act as symbols of the unknown, unseen, and unknowable.

FROM THE ARTIST

FROM THE ARTIST

I am a multidisciplinary artist exploring personal histories, inherited trauma, and the intersections of the visual and emotional with the written and physical. My artistic practice provides a necessary outlet to my compulsive creativity and active mind, and my paintings communicate with my other creative pursuits—I am also a poet, musician, and performer. Working predominantly with acrylic on canvas, I lean into the tactility of the mediums I work with, using expressive gestures to apply paint and following its natural flow. I’ve utilized several styles, ranging from expressionism to cubism to folk art, to scrutinize and reimagine the colonial legacy of European artists like Picasso and Modigliani, while paying homage to Black artists including Basquiat and Lawrence.

Recently, I have begun to focus on a new method I call Raktism, exploring the fourth dimension with new paintings like Saint Notorious I (2021) and Minotaur (2021). These paintings are characterized by bright colors and soft shadows that often include abstract figures whose movements and features are choppy, creating the perception that we’re seeing them at different moments in time from various perspectives. Sharp lines box in figures while parts of their bodies escape the framing devices; the escaped parts appear refracted and/or create a visual echo from the shape that was intersected. This visual effect is intended to bring the image and space together while also paradoxically splitting it apart, so the viewer can feel the intensity of observing time and the movement inherent in the image even though the painting is static. I also often include representations of traditional African spiritual figures that act as symbols of the unknown, unseen, and unknowable.

FROM THE CURATOR

The exhibition, "Displacement," showcases the large-scale paintings of Ainsley Burrows, whose creative process is heavily influenced by his upbringing in Kingston, Jamaica, and Brooklyn, NY. Burrows employs two distinctive methodologies in his artwork: NeoChaos and Raktism. NeoChaos utilizes bold gestures and vivid colors to explore the reverberations of history and the ongoing struggle to make visible the legacy of the past. Raktism is characterized by sharp, boundary-creating lines and repeated images, reflecting the flow of time. Burrows' unique perspective on the cultural and historical influences that have shaped his identity is informed by these self-invented styles.

As an immigrant, Burrows' recent work examines the intricate emotions that arise from a sense of alienation and the struggle to belong. His artwork challenges dominant narratives of marginalization and exclusion faced by immigrants, advocating for a more inclusive and tolerant society. Through his art, Burrows invites viewers to explore the emotional landscape of migration, expressing the inherent disorientation, hope, and frustration that accompany displacement.

Burrows' formal style incorporates a variety of techniques to communicate the unique challenges faced by immigrants. For example, his use of distorted forms and fragmentation conveys the difficulties of forming an identity that many immigrants experience. Bold colors celebrate the vibrancy and richness of immigrant cultures while simultaneously expressing powerful feelings associated with trauma. Symbolism and abstraction are utilized to express the complicated emotions and cultural meanings that represent the the immigrant experience.

This exhibition offers a distinctive opportunity to engage with the vibrant colors, textures, figures, and concepts that define Burrows' art. Through his exploration of identity, culture, and history, Burrows advocates for a nuanced understanding of the emotional and social aspects of migration, advocating for greater recognition and empathy for immigrants.

Meet the Artist

Ainsley Burrows

Ainsley Burrows (b. 1974 in Kingston, Jamaica; based in Brooklyn, NY and Baltimore, MD) is a multidisciplinary artist who explores untold stories and unspoken emotions. He is a poet, musician, and performer, as well as a painter, and his different creative pursuits influence each other. Raised in Kingston, Jamaica and Brooklyn, NY, Burrows paints with his upbringing in the foreground, referencing the many lessons and stories, historical figures and events, and movements and diasporas that have shaped his perspective.

Burrows’ practice mainly uses two methodologies: NeoChaos and Raktism. The former is characterized by expressive gestures and lines, and deep, passionate swathes of color. With it, he explores the reverberations of a history that continues to affect him, showing how the past is alive and how we must make its legacy visible. Raktism is defined by sharp, boundary-creating lines and visual echoes. It is an exploration of the fourth dimension and an attempt to understand the unknowable through systems of control. The flow of lines—sometimes connecting, sometimes separating—represent the many streams of sudden, painful, and historic phenomena; highways of time.

Burrows' work has recently been showcased in solo shows at Rush Arts in Philadelphia, PA, and Creative Alliance in Baltimore, MD, as well as group exhibitions at 11:Eleven Gallery in Washington, DC, Amos Eno Gallery and 3rd Eye Sol-lation Gallery in Brooklyn, NY, Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, NY, and Arlington Arts Center in Arlington, VA. His work is included in several private collections including those of Hill Harper, Jeffrey Wright, Wayee Chu, Lisane Basquiat, Jeanine and Herve Heriveaux, and Andre and Joia Perry.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Meet the Artist

Ainsley Burrows

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Ainsley Burrows (b. 1974 in Kingston, Jamaica; based in Brooklyn, NY and Baltimore, MD) is a multidisciplinary artist who explores untold stories and unspoken emotions. He is a poet, musician, and performer, as well as a painter, and his different creative pursuits influence each other. Raised in Kingston, Jamaica and Brooklyn, NY, Burrows paints with his upbringing in the foreground, referencing the many lessons and stories, historical figures and events, and movements and diasporas that have shaped his perspective.

Burrows’ practice mainly uses two methodologies: NeoChaos and Raktism. The former is characterized by expressive gestures and lines, and deep, passionate swathes of color. With it, he explores the reverberations of a history that continues to affect him, showing how the past is alive and how we must make its legacy visible. Raktism is defined by sharp, boundary-creating lines and visual echoes. It is an exploration of the fourth dimension and an attempt to understand the unknowable through systems of control. The flow of lines—sometimes connecting, sometimes separating—represent the many streams of sudden, painful, and historic phenomena; highways of time.

Burrows has upcoming solo exhibitions at SUNY Oneota, Oneonta, NY; Rush Arts, Philadelphia, PA; The Lion Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; and Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD. He is participating in an upcoming group exhibition at 11:Eleven Gallery, Washington, DC; and in the past has participated in group exhibitions at Amos Eno Gallery, Brooklyn, NY; Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY; and 3rd Eye Sol-lation Gallery, Brooklyn, NY. His work is included in several private collections including those of Hill Harper, Jeffrey Wright, Wayee Chu, Lisane Basquiat, Jeanine and Herve Heriveaux, and Andre and Joia Perry.