joshilyas

A couple of months ago, @studioroosi opened its biggest show yet with @usmmodularfurniture—and the outpouring of support, love, and trust was incredible. I’m endlessly grateful for every part of it. Throughout the journey, there was so much laughter, inspiration, and friendship that came to life. It’s been a week since we wrapped up, but I just want to thank everyone who were involved—from my Roosi boys, the artists, supporters, collaborators, our friends and community, to the endless @topochicousa , and most of all, the USM family! Thank you for believing in a crew of brown kids who showed out in SoHo, nonetheless our own city. Until the next one.

I’m excited to finally share something that’s been in the works for over a year with my boys at @studioroosi. This exhibition has been a journey built on trust and collaboration with everyone involved, and it’s been an honor to lead and curate this show for you all to see. The show is a tribute to the self — to the journey, the struggles, the pain, and the moments of relief. It’s about everything we carry and the things we learn to let go, the energies that exist now and those that eventually pass. It reimagines the idea of “gone,” not as an end, but as part of a process — a journey of finding solitude, of being “GONE” to find oneself, something that doesn’t end, but continues. Please Join us at @usmmodularfurniture in NYC, September 6th from 6-9pm for the opening night. This is a special one!

GONE - SEPTEMBER 6 2024

terlindungi untuk melindungimu

Ana Silva from Calulo, Angola uses materials from her environment as a result of the scarcity of materials and damage to infrastructure due to the Angolan Civil War.

Found this old photo in 2008 I took of @stonersdelight

We often see and perceive “art” in a way that lives in the confines of an industry. We create opinions and understanding to create value that serves a socio-economic role in our world. But what many forget.. down to its core, is that it’s a form of expression. It is a truth being told from something deeply related to the human experience. What we often miss are those deeper layers behind these truths because we are easily distracted by what it means in relation to a commercial world. We wait for these truths to do further damage to humanity until it’s too late just so we can exploit it.. This is the work of the Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour. His body of work stems from his Palestinian roots sharing with us the beauty of his land, the destruction of humanity through out the years, and at times what I feel he hopes to see for his people and their home. His work is important. The resistance of their people and those who fight against the genocide is important to every one on this earth. This is all to say that in the future, I don’t want to see his work, or the works/images of others in a museum contextualized as a horrific moment in our history that we let happen just so we can monetize it like many other material/artifacts of human history. I want to see that Palestine is free and that the people are thriving. I hope people will continue to look deeper in themselves and others, to listen, to be compassionate, and to act when they can. There is no other conclusion than a FREE فلسطين 🤲🏽 Slide 1: Mother breastfeeding, Oil on Canvas, 1976 by Sliman Mansour Slide 2: New Start, Oil on Canvas, 2010 by Sliman Mansour

Neither here nor there 🫥

TOMORROW NIGHT 7-10PM @walidshaharul at @nepenthes_newyork

🛝

A survival story.

FREE GUNNA