Who gets to write history? Adeshola Makinde often ponders on this question each time he enters his studio. Raised within Chicago’s Northside, the Nigerian-American artist recalls gaps within his education pertaining Black history, so he sought to retrace the dots in his multi-media practice, splicing together fragments from politics, sports and entertainment, to form new dialogues on his personal journey towards Black consciousness.
Makinde is showcasing a new solo exhibition that continues on this thread at Anthony Gallery. I SHOOK UP THE WORLD takes its title from a post-match interview, in which a triumphant Muhammad Ali utters his dominance after knocking out Sonny Liston. Makinde reframes Black excellence through a series of new collage compositions, piecing together snippets from Ebony and Jet magazines to craft new narratives of prominent Black historical figures “in a world that oftentimes doesn’t recognize it,” he tells Hypeart.
Also on view are larger black-and-white halftone portraits of former icons, from Richard Pryor and Tupac Shakur to Jackie Brown and Nina Simone. Makinde likes to equate his collage aesthetic to the way in which a hip hop producer samples a song: “This revolutionary act, that was not always respected or welcomed, has not only created some of the most influential music in our lives, but has also shed light on music that may have never gotten its just due or is merely forgotten. This ethos is what I hope to weave throughout my art practice and this new body of work pushes that mission forward.”
I SHOOK UP THE WORLD will be on view in Chicago until September 28, 2024.
Anthony Gallery
1360 W Lake St,
Chicago, IL 60607
