Within Caron Tabb’s newest show, “Humanity Is Not A Spectator Sport“, a series of rotating installations entitled What Now; Making Space will take place. As Tabb’s show focuses on the need to recognize privilege, accept progressive change, and actively create room within our worlds for others, What Now; Making Space consists of the artist’s removal of a symbolic piece of her own artwork in order to make space for each of seven other visiting artists’ works. Over the course of seven weeks, artist and participant Meclina plans to install her curated rotation – an exhibition-within-an-exhibition – showcasing this series of featured works, week by week.
What Now; Making Space not only features works by a variety of artists but gives an opportunity for networking career growth. Through a weekly artist blog feature and online artist talk, each will be highlighted and given the opportunity to more fully explain and engage with the Boston area community. They will also be able to engage with each other through an artist-only event formulated to offer a space for authentic and transparent conversations regarding the challenges of the art world. Each of these artists has a unique vision of the world and a message they present through their artwork, and we are both excited and thankful to have them here in the gallery.
Ibrahim Ali-Salaam is the fourth of seven rotating artists included among the What Now; Making Space lineup. His work is set to be on display from December 6th-12th.
Ibrahim Ali-Salaam is a local Boston-based contemporary artist. Inspired by the German Expressionist movement and Boston Expressionist reinterpretation, his work often focuses on the human form and ways in which its figure can be positioned and contorted. As such, Ali-Salaam’s work seeks to build an insightful commentary on the boundaries of society and culture in relation to identity and being.
As a graduate of the Museum School (now known as the School of Museum of Fine arts), Ali-Salaam has been a professional artist for twenty years. His recent series of paintings entitled “Beautiful Little Monster”, an ongoing collaboration with his son, Joaquin (9), were featured in The Boston Globe just earlier this year. Ali-Salaam is no stranger to Beacon Gallery as his work has been featured in several exhibitions over the years. We are grateful to now have him be a part of What Now; Making Space.
We had a chance to catch up with Ali-Salaam in preparation for his upcoming Making Space; What Now appearance. The artist plans to share more in a full in-gallery Artist Talk – however, when asked about what message he hopes the audience will take from his participation in Caron Tabb’s show, he explains:
“I would like my viewers to take in what I consider the type of my joy as a child regardless of how poor or underprivileged my family was. We were always In survival mode as we received our monthly box of perishables ie. government cheese, the peanut butter in the big silver tin can, etc. yet we still persevered and made a great life for ourselves. I think many people can relate to this upbringing. I wouldn’t change a thing…”
To learn more about Ali-Salaam and his work, please refer to his original “Meet the Artist” post, as well as a previous Q&A session, right here on Beacon Gallery’s blog.
Catch up with him also on his website https://ibi5000.wixsite.com/ibrahim or on instagram @ibi5000
Caron Tabb’s “Humanity Is Not A Spectator Sport” is on view now through mid-January 2022. Please visit our website www.beacongallery.com for more information, to view the full calendar, and more.
Leave a Reply