To be Black, Is To Be Free opening reception

TO BE BLACK, IS TO BE FREE
To Be Black, Is To Be Free commemorates the essence of Emancipation Day by bringing together the works of Vancouver-based artists Simone Chnarakis and Valerie d. Walker. This duo exhibition serves as a celebration of queer Black resilience by exploring the ways in which liberation can be cultivated and passed down. Chnarakis’ photographic and videographic works present a tribute to her chosen family in Vancouver’s ballroom community alongside an intimate homage to her Jamaican grandmother. Likewise, Walker’s large-scale indigo-dyed fibre works reclaim the legacy of indigo as a plantation commodity, creating an immersive environment informed by her African Diasporic, Scottish, Japanese, and Indigenous Hawaiian heritage.

On August 1st, 1834, the Slavery Abolition Act came into effect across the British Empire, setting up pathways for the emancipation of over 800,000 enslaved persons of African descent. While most of those emancipated resided in the Caribbean region and the African continent, it is important to remember that slavery had also been carried out in what is now known as Canada. 192 years later, the SUM galley, together in partnership with Hogan’s Alley Society and the Vancouver Black Library, would like to recognise this overlooked part of Canadian history with a series of programming around what is now celebrated as Emancipation Day.

To Be Black, Is To Be Free opens July 30 with a reception from 6 – 9pm at SUM gallery. Attending the opening is FREE but registration is recommended. The exhibition runs Tues – Sat, noon – 6pm, until August 14.