The ĢƵ St. Claude Gallery in New Orleans presents “Beyond Family,” a solo exhibit by University of New Orleans fine arts professor Ariya Martin that opens Saturday, May 11. The exhibition, which runs through June 2, is an installation of photographs and an artist book that are part of a long-term ongoing project.
The portraits and landscapes that comprise much of the work were created primarily with an 8x10, large format camera. The work delves into the artist's upbringing in a Zen Buddhist community during the 1970s and 80s and is reflective of the community's continued significance in Martin’s life. It reflects on notions of faith and spirituality, family and community, impermanence, and time.
Martin, working under the moniker Ariya Aladjem Wolf, is a visual artist, performer and educator. She directs the photography program at the University of New Orleans. Her work has been exhibited at various institutions, including The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art and Acadiana Center for the Arts. She is a member of the St. Claude artist-run Good Children Gallery.
Martin is a founding member of Southerly Gold, an all-female photography collective; performs in the vocal ensemble, Serpentine, which uses sound and the creation of activated space to facilitate places for transformation and healing; and additionally, co-founded the organization One Bird, dedicated to community youth arts.
An opening reception will be held on Saturday, May 11, from 6-9 p.m. at the ĢƵ St. Claude Gallery, 2429 St. Claude Ave. Regular gallery hours are Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m.
The exhibition is free and open to the public.
