Nine Upstate Black artists will exhibit their own representations of Afrofuturism in celebration of Juneteenth, “Future Minded: Utopia Through the Black Lens,” June 2 through 27 in Galleries II and III of the Artists Collective | Spartanburg.
An artists’ reception will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 18, as part of Spartanburg ArtWalk. The reception and exhibition viewing are free and open to the public.
The artists, from different parts of the United States, want to highlight “this magnificent day by envisioning the future our ancestors fought for,” says exhibit curator and participant Lady Pluuto (Alana Hall), an artist who uses mainly watercolors and ceramics.
“We wanted to provide Spartanburg with a more future minded representation of what Juneteenth is about, re-centering it within the Black experience,” adds Lady Pluuto, who has been a member of the Artists Collective since 2019.
Other participants in the exhibit are Aries (oil), Atom BLK (photography), Dominique Hollis (ceramic), Jah’Nyah Spencer (illustration/acrylic), Divinity (Logan Foster) (acrylic), Matthew Loyd, Sephine (installation) and Tatiana Morejon (acrylic).
“My work exists within the overall vision,” says Atom BLK. “It is about constructing images that feel ahead of their time while remaining deeply connected to who we are. Afrofuturism allows me to create not just photographs, but evidence of a future where we are centered, elevated and limitless.
“The inspiration behind this piece is a re-imagining of what style looks like in the future,” Atom BLK continues. “I believe drawing from culture and heritage to shape what comes next is powerful. Reclaiming what was taken from us is essential to building the foundation of that future. A future rooted in identity, intention, and legacy. That future is BLK.
“Afrofuturism, to me, is an act of reclamation and authorship,” Atom BLK adds. “It is the power to imagine ourselves into futures we were once excluded from and to do so on our own terms. It is where Black culture, technology and mysticism converge. A space where our history is not erased but carried forward, shaping what comes next. I see it as both memory and prophecy, rooted in what we have been and expansive in what we can become.”
Logan says, “My works were inspired by my curiosity of what it means to flow. Within the last year or so I started studying ‘adornments and decoration of space,’ as I call them, which for me means the framework and flow of tattoo lines and iron gates. I found that the loops and spirals felt natural to paint, as if they were a part of me.
“Afro Futurism means remembering the past to make a better future, it’s love for ourselves, past and present,” she adds.
Sephine says, “Here, I created a sculpture using mixed materials. This work is meant to allow you to focus on yourself and your creativity. To feel comfortable enough to explore those odd spaces physically as well as mentally, ultimately understanding what that life changing feeling is for you.”
“Historically, Black people have not always been incorporated into visions of the future,” Lady Pluuto explains. “Afrofuturism is the artistic aesthetic that represents our vision of the future through the Black cultural lens. Afrofuturism is a revolutionary act because of how it inspires us to imagine solutions to our circumstances.”