“GROWTH” Art Show - Saadia’s Juicebox, Richmond, Va (12.7.19)

Patience. Development. Change. All aspects of growth in any process. 2019 was a year of artistic process for me in many ways. I explored and refined a recently discovered style and medium, co-founded an artists collective hosting 2 personally curated events, and showcased my work at roughly 10 other events — needless to say, I was busy. In all of this artistic exposure, I found a great deal of growth.

In 2016, I stumbled across a new Juice Bar and Yoga Studio called Saadia’s Juicebox. I was eager to learn more about what their atmosphere, fruit juices (THEY BOMB CHECK THEM OUT), classes, and potential event space opportunities. This past year back in April, I inquired about hosting an art showcase there and honestly forgot about it until the events coordinator reached out to ask if I wanted to do a First Friday showcase - the answer was an esteemed YES. As the idea began to manifest and the concept developed, I came to this idea of Growth because I noticed the intentional (and sometimes unintentional) common motif in my work -- plants. In a sense, my work incorporates life forms that grow - humans and plants. That shared life cycle is the foundation of “Growth.”

It was my last showcase of the year and not only did it mark the end of the year but it marked an internal shift that I wanted to make with my personal energy and distribution of said energy. After showcasing at over 10 events and spaces that year, I was expensing a lot of energy into my craft and found myself lacking in other areas. I don’t regret this, it was just something that I was conscious of. I committed to showcase this last one and then take a break on showcasing, to shift energy to some other aspects of my life. Nonetheless, this was a memorable show, and i’m happy that my good friend Akila Mohabir, was a part of
it. She’s a local writer from the DMV that has sparked a lot of my creative minutia this year. We collaborated on a piece that she created (and another painting that i’ll share eventually) and I provided the artwork for it. I chose to display this piece because of the story she tells, the raw uncertainty that can come with physical space and belonging, and how it’s moved me upon first reading (shown below):

Thank you to everyone that showed for my showcase.m and generally all of my showcases all 2019! They don’t exists without you because i’m there for you. “Growth” was one of my most conceptually developed shows that I’ve created — and their was intention in that. There’s magic in growth, we are subject to Mother Nature and she skillfully grows her world with grave, finesse, and true resilience. We try to only mirror and embody what she has taught us, and my artwork is my platform to communicate my story. Thanks for reading.

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Thank you to all that shared this moment with me and purchased artwork for your special spaces.

Saadia’s Juicebox: @saadiasjuicebox
Akila Mohabir: @westindieki