FLAGSHIP EXHIBITION:
HIDDEN GOSPELS OF DUST
Tulsa Artist Fellowship is pleased to announce The Hidden Gospels of Dust, featuring a new commission by Ashanti Chaplin at Flagship.
The Hidden Gospels of Dust presents a striking visual representation of life's fleeting nature against the backdrop of the eternal. The veritable maelstrom of particulates is an allegory for the temporal veil that shrouds our perception of time's relentless march. The gospel is the transience of life rendered tangible in the swirling dust, portraying nature's perpetual flux. Existential musings emanate from the heart of the chaos, beckoning viewers to consider the hidden truths and secrets that lie beyond the reach of human understanding.
The Hidden Gospels of Dust is a testament to the sacredness found in the mundane, inviting individuals to reflect on humanity's intrinsic connection to the earth—our origin and our terminus. It speaks to the cycle of life and death, a visual gospel that preaches not in words but in the silent language of visual metaphor. Often trampled, wiped away, and unnoticed, dust is elevated to a medium of revelation and enlightenment, offering historical and cultural reflections that bridge the past and the present.
Through this lens, the artwork becomes a temporal journey, traversing microscopic worlds. It hints at archaeological dimensions, where each grain of dust carries the weight of millennia, whispering tales of ancient civilizations and the relentless progression of time. The viewer confronts sacred earth where the spiritual and the material converge in a narrative as old as time. This dust gospel eloquently articulates the paradoxical human condition: our quest for permanence in a world defined by change, our search for meaning in the face of inevitable oblivion, and our enduring spirit that strives to understand our place in the cosmos.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Born in 1980 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Ashanti Chaplin received an Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education and a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She served as the inaugural Curator of Public Engagement at Dia Art Foundation and is currently a Tulsa Artist Fellowship alum living and working in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Chaplin's practice explores the intricate tapestry of existence, the passage of time, and the vast mysteries of the cosmos. Her research process is a deep dive into materials and ideas with historical and archaeological significance, weaving together narratives that uncover the layers of our collective memory and the often-overlooked sacredness embedded in the mundane.
Through her practice, she engages with themes such as the profound connection between humanity and the Earth, the spiritual dialogue between the material world and the ethereal, and the temporal dynamics that frame our existence. Her work acts as a visual sermon that speaks through the silence of metaphor, urging a reflective consideration of our place within the natural and historical continuum.
At her core, Ashanti Chaplin is a visionary seeking to illuminate narratives from the past. Her art invites us to embark on a journey of discovery, where the sacred and the profane intertwine, revealing the profound interconnectedness of all life and urging us to find ourselves within the universal narrative of time and existence.
VISITOR EXPERIENCE
Tulsa Artist Fellowship strives to provide a welcoming and accessible experience. Our public programming is free, documented, and archived.
Public hours for Flagship (112 N. Boston Ave. Tulsa, OK 74103) are Thursday-Saturday from 12-6 pm. Flagship accommodates wheelchairs and strollers. Variable seating is provided in addition to the areas for distanced standing and wheelchairs. Family-scale private washrooms are available to support visitors with disabilities and caregivers who need access to increased square footage and changing tables. Street-side parking is available using the Park Mobile App and is free after 5 pm and all-day Saturday-Sunday.
Archer Studios (109 MLK Jr Blvd E. Tulsa, OK 74103) & Cameron Studios (303 N Main St, Tulsa, OK 74103) accommodate wheelchairs and strollers. Variable seating is provided in addition to areas for distanced standing and wheelchairs. Family-scale private washrooms are available, designed to support visitors with disabilities and caregivers who need access to increased square footage and changing tables. The elevator at Archer Studios is located at the main west entrance on Martin Luther King Blvd. Street-side parking is available using the Park Mobile App and is free after 5 pm and all-day Saturday-Sunday.
To learn more about Tulsa Artist Fellowship programming, please follow our social media channels on Instagram and Facebook or signup for our public emails at tulsaartistfellowship.org. For questions about accessibility, to request an accommodation, or to share feedback, please get in touch with info@tulsaartistfellowship.org or call (539) 302-4855.
ABOUT FLAGSHIP
Tulsa Artist Fellowship inaugurated its Flagship public project space located at 112 N Boston Ave E, Tulsa, OK 74103 in Tulsa’s historic downtown district. The 2,421 square-foot building was designed as an integrated and dynamic platform for arts-centered community exchange. Flagship programming includes screenings, panel/roundtable discussions, lectures, artist talks and interviews, literary resources, workshops, symposiums, as well as performances and public artworks, sound installations, and more.
