A fissure opened up at the gallery 108 at Trahern. This fissure was not from an earthquake, or any other geological phenomenon, but it was an art exhibition from junior fine arts major Khari Turner.
The show is called “Fissure: A Rift Between Us” and it showed at the gallery 108 from Jan. 23 to 27. The paintings are depictions of various women of color who represent the diversity of people of African decent.
“I named this exhibit ‘Fissure’ because there is a divide between people with different skin tones,” Turner said. “Our community is not a monolith, and we need to embrace our differences.”
Turner was also the winner of 2016 Student Summer Research Award. The school invited students who wanted funding for a project.
The students were tasked with submitting a formal proposal that included items like a budget and material used.
“It was a great honor being selected for the grant because there was so much strong competition for the award,” Turner said.
At the entrance of the gallery a note from Turner welcomed the viewers to his exhibit and informed them why he created the paintings.
“I was initially inspired by Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ as I wanted a political theme to my art,” Turner said. “When I started to put paint to canvas I see where it takes me, and that is when I changed the theme of the exhibit from politics to focus on the diversity of people of African heritage.”
Part of the open letter told the viewer what kind of materials he used with his work and why he chose them in particular.
“Since I used oil based paint when I made these pieces, I was able to change something if was not working I used a knife to change it to something I am happy with instead of working around it like with other materials,” Turner said.
The letter also mentioned a goal that Turner wanted as an outcome for the exhibit as it is going to help him fund a trip to Italy.
“I have never traveled abroad, so I wanted to find a way to do so, as it will broaden my world view,” Turner said.
Turner talked about his personal goals for the gallery, but he also spoke about what he wants the viewer to take away from his work.
“I do not want to impose my interpretation of my art on anybody else,” Turner said. “I want that person to come up with their own interpretations because if they feel anything on an emotional level about my work. That is what makes me happy.”
