SaveArtSpace is proud to present Self Affection, a public art exhibition on billboard ad space, in Brooklyn, NY opening June 7, 2024, curated by Theodoor Gabriella Grimes.

The Self Affection selected artists are Adesewa Adekoya, Hui-Ying Tsai, and Stephanie Pichardo.

Tender acts of care for oneself are undervalued, but essential. The more we pour into our own cup, the more authentically and energetically we can show up in our community spaces.

Opening June 7, 2024, SaveArtSpace will launch public art installations for each selected work on billboard ad spaces in Brooklyn, NY. The public art will be on view for at least one month.

Selected Artists

Location: Morgan Ave & Stagg St, Brooklyn, NY

Adesewa Adekoya (Adé for short) is a Nigerian-American visual designer and illustrator who resides in New York.

They graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a BFA in illustration and have gone on to work for clients such as Netflix, Hulu, Columbia Records and more. Their work is greatly influenced by black beauty and the black artists that have come before them, they wish to inspire other black creatives that come after them.

When not designing you can find them traveling, drinking green tea or listening to their favorite podcast.

Connect with Adesewa on Instagram at @blk.indigo.

Hui-Ying Tsai înn-á-hue (Globe Amaranth)

Music Collaborator: Yusa

Location: Bultman House, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Time: May 21st. Sun. 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Photo Credit: Annie Flanagan

Location: 3rd Ave & 11th St, Brooklyn, NY

Hui-Ying Tsai is a Taiwanese/American interdisciplinary artist, ecofeminist, and existentialist, based in Brooklyn and Taipei. She received a BFA from the National Kaohsiung Normal University and an MFA in New Genres from the San Francisco Art Institute.

She has exhibited internationally for over a decade. Her solo exhibition venues included the Stock 261 at the Taitung Railway Art Village in Taitung, Taiwan, Diego Rivera Gallery in San Francisco, Mooney Center Gallery at The College of New Rochelle, and CAN Foundation -- Old House Warming Project in Seoul, South Korea. She participated in the International Guerrilla Video Festival in Dublin, the On-Site Art Festival in Taipei, Art Revolution Taipei, Young Art Kaohsiung, and the Governors Island Art Fair in New York.

Her public collections include the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts and the Taitung Art Museum. She is a fellow of MacDowell Colony, Joan Mitchell Foundation, MASS MoCA, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, The Vermont Studio Center, The Millay Colony for the Arts, Pier-2 Arts Center, Cheng Long Wetlands International Art Project, Red Bull Arts Detroit, and the Antenna: Spillways Residency. She receives the Excellent Award of 2018 Austronesian International Arts Award and the Excellence Award of 2021 Hualien Art Award.

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My inspiration comes from literature, symbolism, and human relation with nature. I am interested in how cultures and nature inter-shape spaces physically and metaphysically. I respond to the symbolism of objects and artifacts holding cultural or historical significance that underline the perceptions and values of the community. Human behaviors are tightly knit with the habitat, and that relationship reflects on both physical and spiritual levels in everyday life. When the first-hand experiences wither away with the death of the flesh, the spirituality underlies the foundation of history and mythology. In time, a person or an object becomes a principle, and that abstraction needs a tangible vessel to manifest in reality.

My ritualistic work is a transcendental agency revealing the sacred essence within the participants. There are shared perspectives of natural elements and abstract concepts in different cultures. I experiment with various technologies and materials to create interactive sculptures and installations, in conjunction with rituals and performances that reinforce the connection between material and spirit. The goal is to embody the metaphysical concepts through the sensory interpretation that can transcend the languages, cultures, and locality. I believe we can rebuild and reconnect with nature, respecting and getting closer to life by honestly confronting our impermanence, flaws, and animalistic nature while demonstrating humanity.

In the context of the "matrilineal structure" and the inspiration of nature, archaeology, astronomy, and biology, I explore the divine aspects of contemporary daily life in the physical body, rituals, and ancient artifacts. I present ecofeminism and animism, blending commonalities in creation myths from East and West. I use contemporary symbols to reconstruct history and mythology and contemplate existence and life to open dialogues between people from different cultures, geography, and ethnic backgrounds. I am interested in how space is inter-shaped by humans and nature, spiritually and physically. I believe that through the transformation of matter and energy, one can enter a state of spiritual sublimation and transcendence of time and space. Symbolic signs can reflect history and culture, conveying the implicit relationships and meanings between individuals, collectives, and the world within a specific era.

Through artworks, I evoke memories of past generations, myths, and the relationship between body, sound, and environment, collectively representing reality beyond existing contexts.

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înn-á-hue is a participatory ritual live art highlighting the "alternative" worldview that values the earth and female sexuality as sacred. The ritual opens a dialogue between Eastern and African impermanence philosophies and animism spirituality within the context of urban life. Symbolism is subject to reinvention and can be obscured by cultural biases and systemic control. The event returns and delivers a non-linear story about femininity, fertility, beauty, and love in intuitive sounds and movements post-colonization. It is a celebration of water and the life cycle, and embrace the interconnectedness of all beings. Yusa is of Indian and African descent from Cuba, whose culture doesn't carry these contradictions regarding female beauty. We intertwined offerings to the Ochun river deity of love and beauty, narratives, and rituals, healing and liberating each other and the participants.

The naming of "înn-á-hue" comes from a common Taiwanese saying my grandmother used to tell me: "大紅花毋知䆀,圓仔花䆀毋知". Translated into English, it means: "The big red flower doesn't know it's ugly, the round red flower is ugly but unawared ." It's meant to mock people who are unaware of their own ugliness yet flaunt themselves around. This piece reflects on the societal contradictions regarding female beauty, where there's both desire for beauty and fear of it, and where standards are imposed to suppress non-conforming beauty.

In this work, I incorporated the tradition of the Qixi Festival, where women set up altars under the moon, offering needles, threads, peanuts, fruits, rouge, and powder to worship the Weaver Star and the Cowherd Star. After the ritual, they thread needles under the moonlight, symbolizing future skilled craftsmanship.

The conflicting messages are absurd, how could women live with their beauty and be comfortable in our skin? No one supposed to seek approval in order to establish self worth. Please enjoy beauty, desire, and sexuality of oneself.

Connect with Hui-Ying Tsai on Instagram at @huiytsai.

Location: Atlantic Ave & Classon Ave, Brooklyn, NY

Stephanie Pichardo is a queer illustrator & graphic designer located in Brooklyn, New York. 

I create my artwork from a place of optimism and a search for happiness and peace. I’m inspired by pretty sky views, conversations with friends, and the bloom of flowers during springtime - my art celebrates all that is good in life. I use energetic colors, bold lines, and dynamic shapes to showcase vibrancy, warmth, and light. In my featured piece, Processing Anger 2, the subject alchemizes an intense emotion by embracing their inner self and stepping toward them. In that same way, I hope my work can provide a respite from everyday life grayness while fostering meaningful conversations with oneself and others.

Connect with Stephanie on Instagram at @greentea_sunrises.

Curator

Theodoor Gabriella Grimes (They/He) is a Black trans digital artist known for his vibrant illustrations that center the queer experience under the moniker ggggrimes. Based in the Bronx, Theodoor is entirely self taught. ggggrimes’ work is known not only for its dedication to uplifting queer people, but also for its brilliantly colorful, lush, and peaceful depictions of queer life. 

Theodoor often describes his work as a portrayal of queer people of color living happy, beautiful, and sexy lives: highlighting joyous and free worlds that every queer deserves. Theodoor’s illustrations are full of incredible detail and texture: tattoos, body hair, surgery scars, blushes, and seemingly endless patterns. Inspired by graphic novels and manga, his portfolio boasts a large amount of comics with diverse characters and subject matter.

Connect with Theodoor on Instagram at @ggggrimes.

Participating Organizations

Founded in 2015, SaveArtSpace is a non-profit organization that works to create an urban gallery experience, launching exhibitions that address intersectional themes and foster a progressive message of social change. By placing culture over commercialism, SaveArtSpace aims to empower artists from all walks of life and inspire a new generation of young creatives and activists.