A virtual exhibition
Asya Abdrahman, Juror
Exhibition Dates: June 19 – August 1, 2021
Art has always been an important way to describe and convey our impressions of the world around us. For many, in the past year of lockdown and isolation, the world has been limited to that which surrounds us: our homes, our gardens, our immediate family. Yet, at the same time, we are keenly aware of the societal environment that engulfs our personal lives and communities. Artists share their experiences of that which surrounds them, whether interpreted literally as one’s physical surroundings and companions, the environment or allegorically as one’s thoughts, fears, hopes, feelings, values, or other concepts.
Enter the Exhibition (opens June 19 at 12 noon)
JUROR
Asya Abdrahman is an Oakland and San Francisco artist/curator, world builder and multi-disciplinary artist who considers the intersection of cultural identity, human rights and the environment in her work. Of Somali, Eritrean, and Ethiopian heritages, she fled her East African homeland during a time of regional wars. Abdrahman’s work promotes cultural and ecological survival, advanced through her use of human, technological, natural, found, and recycled resources.
In addition to exhibiting her art, Abdrahman is the founder of Sun Village Artisan Corner, Wisdom’s Exchange, POST11NINE, Pay It Forward (PIF) Cafe in collaboration with The Exploratorium and SF Coffee Cruiser. Abdrahman produces and curates exhibitions at Pro Arts Gallery and Alena Museum. Her work was featured at Museum of African Diaspora. In 2019/2020 her artwork will be featured at Ashara Ekundayo Gallery, Marin County Civic Center and Root Division Gallery. She is currently an XIR (Explorer In Residence) for CalCEF at New Energy Nexus where she offers clean energy and zero-waste micro-business classes at a local mobile urban art and economic project, Sun Village Artisan Corner, to overcome the barriers to clean energy in underserved communities.
She introduces herself and her art in a short video created in her home city of San Francisco.
Homework Hangover, artwork by Holly Romano
Thank you to Sandovals, Valero, and Happy Life, our sponsors for That Which Surrounds You
ABOUT ARTS BENICIA
Arts Benicia is a community-based non-profit offering diverse and relevant exhibitions in its gallery and at other exhibition venues in Benicia; engaging public programs; creative workshops for adults; and inspiring youth arts educational programming. Located in the Historic Benicia Arsenal, Arts Benicia has been a vital part of the California Bay Area regional art scene for over 34 years, supporting artistic development and enriching the larger community.