Radical Love

Curated by Jaishri Abichandani and Natasha Becker

Through the theme of Utopian Imagination, the trilogy of exhibitions in the gallery’s inaugural year create a trajectory toward a more just future. The first exhibition, Perilous Bodies (March 4 – May 11, 2019), examined injustice through the intersecting lens of violence, race, gender, ethnicity, and class. Radical Love responds to the first show by offering love as the answer to a world in peril.

Love, in the context of this exhibition, is defined by a commitment to the spiritual growth and interconnectedness of the individual, their community, and stewardship of the planet. Guided by the powerful words of bell hooks, “Were we all seeing more images of loving human interaction, it would undoubtedly have a positive impact on our lives.” The works in Radical Love are grounded in ideas of devotion, abundance, and beauty; here, otherness and marginality is celebrated, adorned, and revered.

The Utopian Imagination exhibition trilogy concept was developed by Jaishri Abichandani.

Image: Athi-Patra Ruga, Umesiyakazi in Waiting, 2015. Courtesy of the artist and WHATIFTHEWORLD. Photo: Hayden Phipps

Sue Austin

La Vaughn Belle & Jeannette Ehlers

María Berrío

Raúl de Nieves

Omar Victor Diop

vanessa german

Jah Grey

Baseera Khan

Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt

McCallum & Tarry: Bradley McCallum & Jacqueline Tarry

Rashaad Newsome

Ebony G. Patterson

Jody Paulsen

Thania Petersen

Lina Puerta

Faith Ringgold

Athi-Patra Ruga

Nep Sidhu

Rose B. Simpson

Imani Uzuri

Lina Iris Viktor

Exhibition installation information

Interior view of the Ford Foundation Gallery featuring the entrance to the "Radical Love" exhibition. A large, matte black sculpture of a seated woman in a peacock chair is centered on a white wall, positioned on a clear base filled with light-colored stones.

Interior view of the Ford Foundation Gallery featuring the "Radical Love" exhibition. A deep red wall is covered in a large, asymmetrical salon-style display of numerous framed black-and-white portraits of various individuals.

Interior view of the Ford Foundation Gallery exhibition, "Radical Love." Vibrant red walls feature lush botanical installations, contemporary photography, and a large-scale beaded tapestry. The space showcases social justice art and multimedia works exploring themes of love and liberation.

Interior view of the Ford Foundation Gallery featuring the "Radical Love" exhibition. A large, intricate tapestry made of colorful beads and sequins is displayed on a dark patterned wall, with vibrant red gallery walls and lush botanical installations visible in the background.

Interior view of the Ford Foundation Gallery featuring the "Radical Love" exhibition. A large, complex altar-style installation with gold, red, and blue motifs is centered on a vibrant red wall, surrounded by diverse multimedia sculptures and textile art exploring social justice and liberation.

Interior view of the Ford Foundation Gallery featuring the "Radical Love" exhibition. Vibrant red walls display diverse multimedia installations, including a large beaded tapestry of figures, small pedestals with figurines, and complex altar-like wall sculptures.

Interior view of the Ford Foundation Gallery featuring the "Radical Love" exhibition. Two elaborate, life-sized figures adorned in intricate beads, sequins, and embroidery kneel on a mirrored floor. Vibrant red walls in the background display multimedia artworks and a video installation.

Interior view of the Ford Foundation Gallery featuring the "Radical Love" exhibition. A large, complex altar-style installation titled "The Preying Hands" by Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt is centered on a vibrant red wall, surrounded by small mixed-media charms and sculptures exploring themes of liberation and spirituality.

Interior view of the Ford Foundation Gallery featuring the "Radical Love" exhibition. A white pedestal displays a white ceramic sculpture of a seated figure holding a child, positioned between a vibrant mixed-media portrait and a large, geometric gold-leaf artwork on a deep red wall.

Interior of the Ford Foundation Gallery during the "Radical Love" exhibition. A terracotta sculpture of a figure holding a child stands on a black patterned pedestal. In the background, a large gold-leaf geometric work and a group portrait are mounted on vibrant red walls.

Interior view of the Ford Foundation Gallery featuring the "Radical Love" exhibition. The wide-angle shot showcases vibrant red walls adorned with diverse multimedia art, including beaded tapestries, sculptures, and a large altar installation by Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt. — Installation Photos Sebastian Bach

La Vaughn Belle & Jeannette Ehlers

(Trinidad/Virgin Islands, b. 1974)
(Trinidad, b. 1973, lives and works in Denmark)
I Am Queen Mary (A Hybrid of Bodies, Nations, and Narratives), 2019
HDU foam, acrylic polyurethane, acrylic, and coral stones cut from the ocean by enslaved Africans
84 x 47 x 60 inches

Bradley Mccallum & Jacqueline Tarry

(United States, b. 1966)
(United States, b. 1963)
Evidence of Things Not Seen, 2008
Oil on linen, toner on silk
Dimensions variable

Athi-Patra Ruga

(South Africa, b. 1984)
Umesiyakazi in Waiting, 2015
Archival inkjet print
59 x 75 inches

Lina Puerta

(United States, b. 1969, lives and works in Colombia and the United States)
Mēãbema, from the Botánico series, 2019
Mixed media
Dimensions variable

Maria Berrio | Nativity, 2014 | Collage with Japanese paper, acrylic and watercolor paint, pencil, and rhinestones

María Berrío

(Colombia, b. 1982, lives and works in the United States)
Nativity, 2014
Collage with Japanese paper, acrylic and watercolor paint, pencil, and rhinestones
48 x 60 inches

Ebony G. Patterson

(Jamaica, b. 1981, lives and works in the United States)
… she saw things she shouldn’t have … for those who bear/bare witness, 2018
Jacquard-woven tapestry and mixed media on artist-designed fabric wallpaper
111 × 94 inches

Faith Ringgold

(United States, 1930-2024)
Evelyn, 1978
Soft sculpture
35 ½ x 8 x 8 inches

Suzanne, 1977
Soft sculpture
26 x 8 x 8 inches

Yvonne, 1978
Soft sculpture
36 x 8 x 8 inches

Rashaad Newsome

(United States, b. 1979)
1st Place, 2016
Collage in custom frame with leather and automotive paint
72 ¼ x 72 ¼ x 4 inches

Look Back at It, 2016
Collage in custom frame with leather and automotive paint
80 ⅜ x 78 ¾ x 8 inches

Jungle Gardenia, 2013
Custom vinyl wallpaper
(not pictured)

Baseera Khan

(United States, b. 1989)
Seat #14 [Feat.] and Seat #13 [Feat.], 2018
Prayer rugs, artist’s underwear, textiles
45 x 28 x 3 ½ inches each

Jah Grey

(Canada, b. 1991)
Dancing in the Light, 2018
Video
18:20

Jody Paulsen

(South Africa, b. 1987)
Find Your Gaggle, 2019
Felt collage
108 x 150 inches

Sue Austin

(United Kingdom, 1965)
Creating the Spectacle!
Part 1: Finding Freedom, 2012
Video
4:25

Thania Petersen

(South Africa, b. 1980)
IQRAA, 2019
Embroidery thread and fringe on cotton
69 x 42 inches

Raúl de Nieves

(Mexico, b. 1983, lives and works in the United States)
Fina Beauty and Fina Nurture, 2019
Vintage military suits, sequins, metal bells, thread, glue, cardboard, plastic beads, tape, trims, mannequins
Dimensions variable

Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt

(United States, b. 1948)
The Preying Hands: In a Little Corner Chapel to Mammon in the Cathedral of Moloch, Greed Makes Human Sacrifice Expedient Upon the Altar of Racism, Displacement and Gentrification, 1985
Mixed-media installation
Dimensions variable

Lina Iris Viktor

(United Kingdom, b.1987, lives and works in the United States and the United Kingdom)
Eleventh, 2018
24-karat gold, acrylic, ink, gouache, copolymer resin, print on matte canvas
65 x 50 inches

vanessa german

(United States, b. 1976)
Notes on the Absence of Sacredness: How Little Black Girls Die, 2018
Mixed-media assemblage
77 x 30 x 18 inches

Nep Sidhu

(United Kingdom, b. 1978, lives and works in Canada)
Confirmation B, 2014
Ink on paper, aluminum, brass
90 x 90 x 5 inches

Rose B. Simpson

(United States, b. 1983)
Genesis Squared, 2019
Ceramic, steel, mixed media
81 ½ x 23 x 23 inches

Omar Victor Diop

(Senegal, b. 1980)
The Ibo Women’s War 1929, from the Liberty series, 2016
Inkjet print on Hahnemühle paper
47 x 64 inches

Imani Uzuri

(United States)
Hush Arbor: Wade (1, 2 & 3), 2019
Site-specific sound installation

More from this exhibition

Curator-led tour: August 17

Curator-led tour: July 13

Exhibition opening: Radical Love

Curator-led tour: July 10

Curator-led tour: June 15