Exhibition Guide

Visual Description

“Ecclesia (The Meeting of Inheritance and Horizons)” is a triptych of vertical oil paintings on linen, each measuring 128 inches by 68 inches. All three canvases depict a singular adult figure with skin tones rendered in grayscale standing in small, slender, white tower structures against a blue background with no horizon in sight. Each of these structures has a metal weathervane, depicting a different animal, atop striated copper or bronze-hued roofs. Each tower is inset with a slightly recessed doorway. Within each doorway is a closed Dutch door: the bottom part of each door is solid white with a doorknob on the right side and the top part of each door has a cut-out window frame. Each figure leans on a ledge at the bottom of their respective window, casting shadows that fall beneath them and slightly to the left. The doors’ hinges and knobs are golden, and all three structures stand on white stilts that are cropped by the panels’ bottom borders. The interiors of the structures appear solid gray, while the background of each panel is a bright blue sky with white clouds. The clouds near the bottom of the canvases extend across the three panels, suggesting the figures are in close proximity to one another.

In the left panel, a figure with a black line-up leans forward and rests their arms on the window frame, letting their hands fall freely as they gaze forward with a furrowed brow. They wear a pink T-shirt with a graphic of the sun. The sun sits on the right side of their shirt and emanates large rays through the pink sky filled by white clouds and two small multicolored hot air balloons. The sculpture sitting atop this tower structure’s weathervane is in the shape of a turtle facing slightly to the right of the composition—its textured fins extended upwards. The tower’s weathervane situated beneath the turtle points right, indicating that the wind is blowing in a southwest direction.

In the center panel, a figure with a mini afro rests their right hand on their structure’s window frame and lets their left hand dangle while holding a pale lavender handkerchief with cream-colored trim tucked behind the pointer finger. They wear a white, long-sleeved blouse with a tie-neck fashioned into a large bow under a vibrant seafoam sweater vest patterned with a recurring graphic of small rain clouds. They are turned slightly to the left of the composition with a furrowed brow and opened mouth, wearing a look of concentration or anticipation. The sculpture sitting atop this tower structure’s weathervane is in the shape of a sperm whale that faces to the right of the composition. The weathervane’s arrow is situated beneath the whale and is also pointing to the right, but this time indicating that the wind is blowing southeast.

In the right panel, a figure also with a mini afro leans their left shoulder slightly against the vertical part of window frame with their left elbow, forearm, and thumb resting on the bottom horizontal part of window frame. The remainder of their hand dangles freely. The figure uses their right hand to shield their eyes from the sun, resting it against their forehead. They wear a vibrant sundress patterned with vertical, rainbow stripes. The dress’s straps are tied in loose bows affixed at the top of their shoulders, the ends of which hang loosely to the length of their chest. The animal decorating the top of this tower structure’s weathervane is in the shape of a dolphin shown in profile facing to the left of the composition. Beneath the dolphin is the weathervane’s arrow that also points left, indicating that the wind is blowing south.