ALTAR: PRAYER, RITUAL, OFFERINGS
MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora presents “ALTAR: Prayer, Ritual, Offerings”. The visual association of altars are often akin to spiritual pedestals; sites where rituals are enacted, places of sacrificial endowment. Altars are often erected to pay homage to an ancestor or to honor God or a saint. This exhibition takes the altar out of its religious context and interrogates photography as a practice containing the same attributes as altars. The images presented in this exhibition examines several religious traditions that have originated in and/or practiced on the African continent and throughout the world. “ALTAR” also centers love and meditation as a spiritual practice. In this exhibition, we regard the final product—the photograph—as the altar. The context, process, and content of the photographs fulfill the attributes, ritual, sacrifice and offerings. Photo Credit: Melissa Bunni Elian. MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora is an independently published anthology featuring photographic works created by 118 African and diasporic women artists, representing 27 nations. Our goal is to promote an international representative voice of women photographers from continental Africa and its diaspora. Featuring: Collette V. Fournier, Crystal-Anne Chijindu, Daesha Devón Harris, Deborah Willis, Diane Wah, Fanta Diop, Felicita “Felli” Maynard, Gulshan Khan, Hilina Abebe, Idris Hassan, Imani Dennison, Intisar Abioto, Jenevieve Aken, Johanne Rahaman, Johnette Iris Stubbs, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Kay Hickman, Kennedi Carter, Koren Martin, Lola Akinmade Åkerström, Manyatsa Monyamane, Marilyn Nance, Melissa Bunni Elian, Miora Rajaonary, Nicky Woo, Nicole Najmah Abraham, Nina Robinson, Nydia Blas, Pavan Carter, Rahima Gambo, Régine Romain, Rhynna M. Santos, Sabriya M. Simon, Salimah Ali, Sokari Ekine, Stephanie Mei-Ling, Valda Nogueira, Zarita E.Zevallos.
Presented by: MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora and United Photo Industries, with additional support by Digital Silver Imaging Curated by: Laylah Amatullah Barrayn & Adama Delphine Fawundu Assistant Curator: Crystal Whaley