Procession of the Son
Mindy Solomon is pleased to present Procession of The Son
The second solo exhibition of Los Angeles based artist Lanise Howard. Continuing her exploration of the human experience, Howard focuses on the life process and how we move from one spiritual realm to the next.
“Grappling with recurring dreams, I began to ask myself more questions about the cyclical nature of time; the idea of life, death and reincarnation. This is a narrative that has permeated my work in the past, however here I was considering an answer, and wanted to showcase that in the work. I started to think about the fallen sons. (Suns)- the black male martyr, and wanted to honor them in a way. All of the fallen sons, that seem to leave this void within us. I then pulled elements from Kemetic (Egyptian) spirituality as well as other ancient African spiritual practices, where death was often seen not as “death”, but as transformation. Often shown as a walk into a new life after death, this “procession” was practiced ritualistically many times. Funeral processions are still happening today. Ultimately, I wanted to show my dreams in a way in which I see them more fully here, using them as source material and then trying to decipher them during the process of creating the composition for the works. Reference images were merged completely with imaginary pulled directly from dreams and the subconscious. The works are all placed within this dream space, aiming to transport the viewer to a sensual and somber place. The color palette further enforces this, with notes of lavender and blues.”
The soft color palette of these works is the perfect aesthetic for the delicacy of the subject. In “Walk of Transformation” we see a group of men carrying a white casket, their pink suits and ties an ironic contrast to what one would associate with funeral attire. Vulnerability is a central theme in all the works presented. A pastel infused meditation on the passage of life and the beauty of transitioning with grace and dignity. In Procession of the Son, Howard continues to honor the richness of tradition and the glory in honoring community.
About Lanise Howard
Lanise Howard is a visual artist who lives and works in Los Angeles. Recently graduating from Otis College of Art and Design in 2020. She works mainly in paint and mixed media. Lanise was born in Southern California and raised partially in New York State. Her earliest years were spent from El Centro, California to Los Angeles California. The unique environments of Southern California and New York have both shaped the way she sees the world. Her work is usually figurative and often narrative. There is a surrealistic quality to her work, as well as a spiritual feeling that is often embodied.
Lanise is interested in many various topics such as, the esoteric, sacred geometry, ancient belief systems, the current digital world, as well as her experience as a woman of color in today’s climate. Recently she has been moving towards a fusing of these many inspirations, and hopes to future investigate these phenomena in her works. Her recent body of work is an investigation on censorship and assimilation, lost narratives, and hidden histories. She has moved towards this creation of an analogous world in her work, where parallel narratives can live. Lanise Howard has shown in multiple exhibitions within the past two years, and has won art prizes, such as the Women’s Painters West Award in 2019, and was a finalist in the 2019 AXA art prize.
