Onajide Shabaka’s work makes references to the anthropological, geological and biological through a visual aesthetic that is challenging and visceral, with a grounding in African Atlantic culture.  Since 1997, his work has largely moved into the Florida wetlands, upper Minnesota and Oregon woodlands. He will use Trading Places to bring his art practice back into the formal gallery through photography, drawing and sculpture of natural and industrial materials.   Bonnie Clearwater first worked with Shabaka when she selected him for the exhibition New Art: South Florida at the Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale in 1993, and notes that his recent body of work based on botanical studies conducted in South Florida marks a new path for him to develop.  “With his extensive experience teaching at the college and university level, Shabaka will play an important mentoring role for the teen and young adult students in MOCA’s afterschool programs,” she said. 

In this second installment of MOCA’s experimental program, Trading Places, South Florida artists will swap their studios for studio spaces in MOCA’s galleries. The program provides the artists with materials, technical assistants and opportunities to interact, respond to and investigate each others’ practices and engage in discussions with the public. Each of the selected artists has reached a critical moment in their career when they can benefit most from the opportunity to work with MOCA’s curatorial and technical staff.

Trading Places II is on view through November 11, 2012.
Trading Places II is made possible by MOCA’s Knight Exhibition Endowment.