Black Wall Street Gallery, based in New York City and Tulsa, announces their upcoming exhibition of oil paintings by Jessica Alazraki. ‘La Familia,’ the solo exhibition from Alazraki, originally from Mexico City and now living in NYC, centers on portraits that celebrate Latinx culture by highlighting the role of the family in contemporary Latinx life.
With her signature vibrant colors and decorative patterns, Alazraki’s paintings incorporate children, elders, animals and food, all around the central motif of the dining table, which translates the energy of the home in her depictions of domestic family narratives.
“I like to approach every portrait slightly differently, to highlight the fact that every individual has their own unique world in their mind. I think this becomes very obvious when sharing a home with family – something we’ve all become more intimately familiar with over the past year,”
says Alazraki.
“I use bold color and a collage-like aesthetic with imperfect composition and perspective. Ultimately, I want my paintings to provoke emotion in the viewer: happy, charming, intense, and with a sense of humor.”
“Jessica’s work is important to Black Wall Street Gallery because we are intentional about celebrating and preserving culture. Unity requires that we understand one another, and exposing ourselves to other cultures helps us reach that understanding,”
said Dr. Ricco Wright, Owner, Black Wall Street Gallery.
“La Familia” is a beautiful opportunity for us to celebrate Latinx culture. And with her vibrant colors and unique approach to storytelling, we see Jessica as an intriguing emerging artist, one who is actively participating in shaping the canons of modern Latinx Art.”
This is Alazraki’s fourth solo exhibition. She has participated in multiple group exhibitions, and has won several awards, most recently the Emerging Artist Award, Jackson Painting Prize 2021; Queens Council on the Arts New Work Grant 2020; and named a finalist for the biennial Alexander Rutsch Painting Award, 2021.
Curated by Wanda Goudas and Black Wall Street Gallery Owner Dr. Ricco Wright, “La Familia” will open with a public reception from 7:00 – 9:00 pm on Wednesday, May 5.
Black Wall Street Gallery is located at 361 Canal Street, SoHo in New York City.
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About Jessica Alazraki
Jessica Alazraki was born and raised in Mexico City, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from Universidad Anáhuac. Since 1998, she’s been based in New York City. She also holds a diploma in graphic design from Parsons School of Design and a certificate in drawing and painting from the New York Academy of Art. Jessica has exhibited her work in four solo exhibitions in the United States and in over 50 group exhibitions in both Mexico and the United States. In 2018, she received the Award of Excellence from the Huntington Arts Council and an Honorable Mention Award from the Barrett Art Center. In 2019, she participated in the ARTWorks Fellowship at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL) and was selected into the Creative Capital NYC “El Taller” in collaboration with the Hemispheric Institute. In 2020, Jessica completed the Trestle Art Space Residency Program, was awarded the New Work Grant by the Queens Art Fund, and won the Diane Etienne Founders Award from the Stamford Art Association and the MvVo AdArt Show winner. In 2021, she received the Emerging Artist Award from the Jackson’s Painting prize, she was shortlisted for the Hopper Price Award and was a finalist for the Alexander Rutsch Award. Her work is featured in several publications including New American Paintings, No. 152, Northeast Issue.
About Black Wall Street Gallery
Black Wall Street Gallery focuses on building better relationships primarily between black and white citizens of Tulsa.
We use the arts, theater and education to bring people together in conciliatory discussions, events and activities that create more opportunities for dialogue and ultimately greater cultural, experiential understanding.
Through the arts, music, theater and education, we build connections for long-term relational change among the black and white populations in support of the social justice movement.
Fostering relationships through these initiatives will help Tulsa become a progressive world-class city, affect positive social change, and build community.
We value the arts because they welcome all perspectives and weaken social, cultural and political barriers, thereby disrupting the status quo of racial inequity within our community.
