Exhibition Guide

A sculptural dress adorned with cowrie shells along the neckline and center, and a skirt composed of long, hanging strands of black chains interspersed with natural fibers, creating a fringe-like effect.

Oletha DeVane. Hagar’s Dress in her Exile. 2012. Courtesy of the artist. © Oletha DeVane

A sculptural dress adorned with cowrie shells along the neckline and center, and a skirt composed of long, hanging strands of black chains interspersed with natural fibers, creating a fringe-like effect.

Hagar’s Dress in her Exile

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Art Object Info

Oletha DeVane
(born 1950)

Medium:
Chains, hemp cord, fabric, beads, sweetgum balls, cowrie shells
Date:
2012

Working across public art, sculpture, installation, and works on paper, Oletha DeVane explores materiality, mythology, identity, and transformation. Snakes, birds, saints, mermaids, and other symbols populate her work, evoking the possibility of communication between reality and otherworldly realms. She has spent decades learning, teaching, and making art about the most profound phenomena of the human condition and life’s transformative experiences.

Born in Baltimore, DeVane is a Baltimore-based interdisciplinary artist. She received a B.F.A from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and an M.F.A. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. DeVane has made an indelible mark on the Baltimore arts community through her work as an artist, educator, and arts administrator.

Courtesy of the artist BMA

Hagar’s Dress in her Exile

Oletha DeVane
(born 1950)
Date:
2012
Medium:
Chains, hemp cord, fabric, beads, sweetgum balls, cowrie shells

Working across public art, sculpture, installation, and works on paper, Oletha DeVane explores materiality, mythology, identity, and transformation. Snakes, birds, saints, mermaids, and other symbols populate her work, evoking the possibility of communication between reality and otherworldly realms. She has spent decades learning, teaching, and making art about the most profound phenomena of the human condition and life’s transformative experiences.

Born in Baltimore, DeVane is a Baltimore-based interdisciplinary artist. She received a B.F.A from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and an M.F.A. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. DeVane has made an indelible mark on the Baltimore arts community through her work as an artist, educator, and arts administrator.

Courtesy of the artist BMA