G. Farrel Kellum & Warith Taha

Kellum and Taha investigate blackness, the body and memory through a shrewd use of materials which engage with metaphorical systems in an attempt to decolonize identity.

Kellum (b. 1947) has been an artist in Philadelphia for over 50 years. A graduate of the University of The Arts, Kellum draws from Buddhist and Taoist philosophy, action painting, science fiction, architecture and history to create his mixed media assemblages grounded in autobiography. His goal with his work is to encourage an audience to embark upon a radical interrogation of their perception and analysis of visual content through encountering his objects, which they may perceive to be uncomfortable or even alien.

Originally from Oakland, California, Taha received their MFA in Painting from the Tyler School of Art and Architecture in 2020. Warith’s practice taps into a diverse field of iconography ranging from abstraction to ’90s "Black Inches" magazines to family photos and found household objects. These points of interest become anchors in an ongoing autobiographical exploration that often touches on his relationship to American history, race, gender, sexuality, and class. Taha’s work will be the subject of a solo exhibition later this year at M+B Gallery in Los Angeles.