Space Between

Redeat Assefa

Space Between

Edited by Khaleelah I. L. Harris

REDEAT ASSEFA

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Presents

Space Between 3

Content

Forward | 6 “Solace” | 10 Deciphering | 14 “I Know My Soul” | 18 - 19 Artist Movement | 24 About the Gallery | 26 - 27 Artworks | 29

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Foward Khaleelah I. L. Harris

on

SpaceBetween

As this exhibition holds a mixture of older and never before seen pieces, I encourage a kind of consumption of Assefa’s delicately titled works At different moments in our lives, colors of abstraction that engenders consideration of determine and depict the breadth and width time, space, and light through what is visual, in hopes that you might find respite. With oil of existence. Using a plethora of rhetorical devices, whether literally or metaphorically, paint, strategic and mesmerizing strokes both lead the way towards personal reflection while those who are able utilize the colors surrounding and the physicality of human exis- accommodating self-lead meditation. Between tence to govern themselves throughout the and amidst the stains, gradients, and more trials and tribulations of life. However, each visible brush strokes you will hear from the inner depths of yourselves an exclamation; “you of these colors and their respective moments, plucked your soul out of its secret place and as well as the spaces we inhabit as we make brought it to the mirror of your eye!” our way, cannot speak to what we witness in the space between.

It is with great vigor, in the various ways which it can be applied, that I present the catalog for Redeat Assefa’s exhibition prompts us, the first solo exhibition of Redeat Assefa (b.

“What lies between presence and absence, 1992, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia). With care for what exists in the binary spaces?” In the the artists’ hope and dedication to self-care, I space between the culmination of a thought hearten the audience to open themselves toand the formation of a new thing lies a world wards what these works of abstraction might of visuals that express the philosophical co- affect in our lives. Abstraction is indeed a pornundrums which a rational existence thrusts tal, but the appropriate pathways the portal of this exhibition shepherds us must be deterupon us. mined in the contemplative moments throughout this journey.

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“October”

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“October” reminds us of the human condition. It speaks to the themes of duality, polarity, symbiosis, and conundrum. With attention and intention set to the two major colors which engage the majority of the canvas, Assefa speaks to her general artistic focus of seeking to highlight and normalize duality. There exists a delicate dance between that colors that provide overall characterization for this pieces. The beauty in this dance is that Assefa allows the audience to determine its nature. There are two soft strokes of darkness that graze the canvas, amidst the light shades that seemingly set the tone for this pieces, and Life is presented through oil paint.

What is life without dark hours, and what is darkness but a step away from certainty? In this piece we visit and revisit the moments of beautiful chaos which characterize every stage of the human experience. What calls for times in which we must veer away from certainty?

What beckons our return to familiarity, and warm transcendence stimulated by ritual? More importantly, as we use color and tone to symbolize concepts, what is darkness and what is light?

In “October” we are encouraged to consider rhythm and meaning. It is a meditation on time and space/place, depending on where its audience is situated between the two.

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Solace Work in progress growing continually whiling away the days.

A small room, shelter from the world’s ills.

A small chair that hugs that braces.

A letter, a note-book of memories, a newspaper.

Kinsmen in a frame, photo of a friend.

A bedside lamp, on the wall shadows a picture.

Books, books, books (to lean on, to run to, to hide in) that are company, that teach, that bait a dialogue.

Also others, also many many others.

Provide solace.

By Gebre Kristos Desta, trans. from Amharic by Solomon Deressa

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W s n d a t t c

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“No. 12”

These pieces were created so that the audience may consider this exhibition an invitation. Each piece speaks to a different kind of moment or contemplative space. She asks that we are present when we witness and experience these pieces because her brush strokes speak to the profundity of the human experience. Thoughts and emotions are sophisticated when various shades of gray make their way around the canvas.

Certain areas appear to be removed or erased, some areas “covered” by different shades. Did she mean to do that?

Did you realize when your thoughts and feelings shift?

When you follow her brush strokes, you follow a guided meditation for self-revelation. The stains mirror the moments we linger/ed and danced with thoughts and feelings when we needed more time. The darker areas reflect splatters, stains, and the gradient of life. In the dark areas as well as the light areas, and the changes in color throughout, we can find guidance from Assefa. Its safe to be present, it is safe to be absence. In the boundlessness of continuity we find freedom to be whatever we feel led to be in each moment. Most importantly, the familial nature of colors that share space and time on her canvases welcome us to be in community with all that are involved in the experience.

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Deciphering A Short Story for Meditation

by Khaleelah I. L. Harris & Redeat Assefa

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uman beings often seek respite and refuge during transitional periods. These transitions can be microscopic or direct in scope and impact, but they can also be conse-

quential journeys towards the indescribable. Life is filled with transitional periods, and these periods are filled with seminal experiences. Upon completion of her MFA from the Leroy E. Hoffberger School of Painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art some years ago, Redeat Assefa’s transitional period post graduation was characterized by the task of deciphering.

What was unknown and indescribable needed to be clearly presented, and the approaching dilemma needed to be resolved. A young girl born of Ethiopian soil was now a young immigrant woman living in the capital of the United States of America. A gentle, contemplative, and reserved woman was pushed into society.

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he fast-paced high-demand capitalist society saw itself on the campus of Howard University, where Redeat received her BFA in Painting. Performance, merit, and assimila-

tion culminate in the social and academic expectations of its students. There are timelines, standards, and eyes watching from all angles. From there, she transitioned into a space that presented itself as a different space. The new space, however, was not without its challenges to her spirit. The distinctive line which separated each space was both stark and ambiguous.

As changes in time, space, and place occurred Redeat was undaunted by the demands thereof, because she never considered herself transitional by design. So, she simply listened and moved along. So much for being forced to determine seasons, so much for being coerced into deciphering the changes around her. Luckily for them Readeat listens, and she moves along and between those lines.

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s it relates to the higher picture of that transitional period, the specific task of deciphering it--she had to look within and remember. First, who was she? “I don’t consider

myself transitional by design,” she would say. This means both herself , in addition to the things around her, had to be determined. So, she looked towards her craft. More than anything she wants her artwork to convey the feeling of being understood. When people see her pieces they should feel affirmed and be transformed into fluidity. She creates to communicate and needs her audience to know that her goal is to affirm them. Look how she pours out into her work, look how she expands and touches the souls of others. She figured out how best to characterize the transitional period and crafted a travel plan by remembering who exactly she is by design. She figured out that it is wasn’t about transition, it was about continuation.

She deciphered this time and space in her life as a continuous set of portals, or opportunities, into the unknown. The matter which needed deciphering wasn’t the “end,” per say. She didn’t need to endure drastic cosmetic and extramundane changes, but needed simply to consider herself along the way. What better way to venture towards delineation than through the humbling act of deciphering? Whats wiser than self-introspection? There she was, both present and absent by certain senses, and there she is--resting. The entire time, Redeat was in between those harsh boundaries which purported themselves as delineators.

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I Know My Soul I plucked my soul out of its secret place, And held it to the mirror of my eye, …

And I explored it to determine why This awful key to my infinity Conspires to rob me of sweet joy and grace. ...

Because I see a part and not the whole.

Contemplating the strange, I’m comforted By this narcotic thought: I know my soul.

By Claude McKay

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By Claude McKay

I Know My Soul …

To see it like a star against the sky, A twitching body quivering in space, A spark of passion shining on my face …

And if the sign may not be fully read, If I can comprehend but not control, I need not gloom my days with futile dread, ...

I know my soul.

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“Between”

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For Redeat Assefa, the themes of presence and absence are important matters as it relates to her art and the life that she lives. Her curiosities regarding the mean, look and feel of these themes are constantly presented and debated in her works. In her work “Between,” the argument is offered to members of her audience who recognize it.

In a capitalist society, the hyphenated act or role is most rewarded when “high functioning” is the former. What does it mean to be “high functioning” in a world that delineated by western conceptions of time, sacrifice, and (forced) servitude? More importantly, what does it look like? In recent times, the implications of this kind of cultural norm is most evident in the in/ ability for individuals to be “present.” However, when physical presence is a cover for mental and emotional absence, is tranquility any good? What, then, is absence and presence?

We escape towards presence in the physical world in order to be marked absent from internal turmoil. In turn, we often escape the intimate realities that exists in indescribable ways to be marked present in a world that numbs us. In “Between,” the traffic of that bridge is made clearer through light, darkness, and the colors in between.

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Movement

There are many thoughts and figures that join Assefa in her moments in the contemplative spaces that help her create her works. The thoughts of community, societal impact, and social edification all sit with her in the studio. Abstraction works which considers the human being and seek the social being, Assefa creates with many people in mind.

One of her favorite artist, Nina Simone, reminds her of the importance soul touching work. Nina Simone touches your soul. When you listen to her voice, whether it be a live performance or recorded session, and there is a kind of humanity that speaks to your soul. That is the goal of her art, that is what she seeks to emulate.

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What can be felt in the humming or melody of a beautifully crafted song is beyond words, and yet it be can entirely felt and understood as if it had lyrics. The same can be said about the field of Abstraction, its never truly filling or finished to some, but it is always felt and understood in some way. Assefa wants people to want to live with her pieces and experience them over time. Experiencing those contemplative moments which she hopes her pieces engender ought to demand presence.

Considering the other artist with which she shares space, in terms of the of legacy of Black Abstract Painters, her tools and aims are indicative of her place. Like the projects of Ryan Cosbert and Alteronce Gumby, Assefa’s work is characterized by social aims, the chronicling of her experimentations, and correcting the assumptions of others. What guides her process is the freedom to experience the change and continuity of that lies in understandings of presence and absence. This freedom can only occur in unhinged spaces, in gray areas, and beyond the binary.

She insists on it. She moves and finds her being in the space between what is and what could be. The duality of presence and absence is actually the transitional space she has deciphered and determined through her work. Her work calls us to join her in that space, or to determine where we can position ourselves for a boundless freedom.

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About the Gallery

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Mehari Sequar Gallery is an independent art gallery located in Washington, D. C. Founded in 2019, the Gallery is dedicated to articulating narratives of the African Diaspora by examining the world through conteporary art.

With a focus on women-identified artists of the diaspora, we champion a range of established, emerging and international artists who explore conceptual approaches and embrace the freedoms of artistic expressions across all mediums.

The Gallery also serves as a hub for artists and art scholars who interrogate the influence of Black arts and culture across hemispheres. We are committed to promoting new artistic expressions, innovation, and fostering interactive art experiences.

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Artworks

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No. 11, 36 “ x 24”, Oil on Canvas, 2022 | 7 October, 72” x 96”, Oil on Canvas, 2018 | 8 No. 3, 48” x 72”, Oil on Canvas, 2018 | 11 No. 4, 48 “ x 72 “, Oil on Canvas, 2018 | 12 No. 12, 72” x 84”, Acrylic on Canvas, 2022 | 13 Between, 144” x 84”, Oil on Canvas, 2019 | 20 Horizontal Blue, 36” x 48”, Oil on Canvas, 2017 |

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In Green, 48” x 48”, Oil on Canvas, 2020

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