A Haitian abstract art exhibit in Delray Beach spotlights how people engage with the narratives of colonialism and other forms of social oppression.

Steel is enduring, like racism and colonialism, said Broward County-based, Haitian conceptual artist Yves Gabriel.

His first of three pieces, “Justice Umbrella,” has no canvas “because the Black and brown communities have no protection. The umbrella represents a lack of protection,” he said.

Gabriel’s solo exhibit, Inside Outside, at the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum in Delray Beach, is meant to provoke conversations surrounding social and political divisions.

From voter suppression to racial tensions surrounding immigration, the exhibit interrogates historical past crimes and with the hope it elicits dialogue that could “provide some assistance in dealing with what is happening now, said Charlene Farrington, the museum’s executive director.

The Spady Museum typically hosts up to 4 major exhibits each year.

Gabriel, an adjunct professor at Broward College, has been featured in the International Contemporary Masters V, a contemporary art publication, and exhibited at the Southern Nevada Museum of Art, Mandela’s Legacy art exhibition at the Miramar Cultural Center, among other places.

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Gabriel’s Invisible Lines piece illustrates the “invisible boundaries” between Black and Brown communities, often separated by racism and colonialism.

Exhibit curator and artist Khaulah Nuruddin says Gabriel’ exhibit also reflects the deep social angst felt within the Black diaspora.

“That’s why it’s ‘Inside Outside,’ “Nuruddin said. “Take time to contemplate our experiences as individuals but also contemplate how we relate to the larger community.”

Gabriel, a sculptor and digital artist, said his work comes from a Haitian lens, focusing on the various forms of oppression, “which continue to affect the culturally melded fabric of our society,” he said.

IF YOU GO:

WHAT: INSIDE OUTSIDE
WHEN: October 22, 2024 through January 6, 2025. Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
WHERE: 170 NW 5th Ave, Delray Beach, FL 33444, Spady Cultural Heritage Museum

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