because you're [mine.]
"because you're [mine.]" features interdisciplinary artworks, including film, performance, sculpture, and multimedia installations by storäe michele and Courtney Kessel
On View
June 7 - August 2, 2024
Exhibition Details
"because you're [mine.]" is an exhibition that explores themes of magic as resistance and self-possession, inspired by Nina Simone’s potent lyrics in "I Put a Spell on You." Running from June 7 to August 2, with an opening reception on June 7, from 5-8 pm, the exhibition features transformative works by storäe michele and Courtney Kessel. These works delve into the nuances of black femme identities and the unseen labor of motherhood, showcasing how personal and cultural narratives can weave spells of healing and empowerment.
Press
Press Release
Exhibition Statement
At the heart of "because you're [mine.]" lies the exploration of self-possession as a radical act against the backdrop of a white-supremacist-capitalist-patriarchy. This exhibition unveils the everyday magic in mundane gestures and the intentional magic hidden in plain sight—magic cast through mobiles, sculptural installations, and performative pieces that declare autonomy and presence.
The title, "because you're [mine.]," challenges the notion of possession, reclaiming it as a form of self-dedication and empowerment. It reflects a commitment to oneself, highlighting that no external entity holds dominion over one's body, spirit, or creative output. Drawing from storäe michele's roots in African diasporic folklore and Courtney Kessel’s introspective examination of motherhood, the exhibition fosters a dialogue about personal and collective identity, resilience, and the transformative power of art.
Inspired by Audre Lorde's assertion that "self-care is not a luxury," and propelled by the lived experiences of the artists, "because you're [mine.]" is an affirmation of self-care as a revolutionary act. It invites viewers to witness and engage with the layers of meaning and resistance embedded within the art, urging a reflective journey into the realms of autonomy and magical realism.
This exhibition is a spell cast, a claim staked, an invitation to see the magic imbued in every act of living and being—because we are, unequivocally, ours.
The artists share the following -
"because you're [mine.]
because self-possession is the antithesis to white-supremacist-capitalist-patriarchy. because our mundane gestures hold intentionality–our magic hides in plain sight. because our existence tells the story of dedication to one’s self, and as Audre Lorde has taught us, “self-care is not a luxury.” because we have mothered ourselves, nurtured our loved ones and still make time for self-pleasure(s).
because we are ours.
because you’re [mine.]"
This exhibition is view from June 7 - August 2
Opening Reception Shared After the Opening
About the Artists
storäe michele
storäe michele (they/them)—a self-given name speaking to the sacred act of storytelling—is an interdisciplinary artist, performer, poet, playwright, theologian and seasoned educator. their experimental films, performances, and choreopoems center black femmes, honoring their
routes to authenticity— the reclamation of body, sexuality and personhood—which serve as reminders of how to create brave space as black queer wild + holy beings.
storäe returns to African diasporic folklore as a practice of story-weaving. by integrating archives of black folx, exploring ancestral accounts + documenting dreamworlds as transformative spells for healing, their art provides pathways toward future world-making.
their first film, [the listening heart] (2017), earned the Robert E. Seaver Award granted by Union Theological Seminary and has been officially selected by film festivals in Berlin, New York, Carbondale, Colorado and Cannes. their directorial debut was celebrated on the front cover of Women CineMakers, a digital magazine in Berlin.
storäe is a Lambda Literary Fellow (Playwriting Cohort, 2021) and their choreopoem, mama [rose], was nominated for the 2022 LGBTQ Drama Lammy Award. storäe is a fellow for the
2023 Baldwin for the Arts Residency and the 2023 Greenhouse Residency (SPACE on Ryder Farm). their upcoming performance piece [claustrophobia], is supported by Columbia University’s Center on African American Religion, Sexual Politics & Social Justice as a Rapid
Response grant recipient .
storäe has a Master of Professional Studies graduate in Creative Arts Therapy + Creativity Development, Pratt Institute (2008), also holds an Interdisciplinary Master of Divinity graduate of Union Theological Seminary (2017), and has earned a Master of Fine Arts in Performance +
Performance Studies at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY (2021).
Courtney Kessel