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.

UPCOMING EVENTS

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Ashanti Chaplin, an artist and cultural producer with roots in Tulsa, Oklahoma, currently lives and works in Greenwood, the birthplace of Black Wall Street. She earned an Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education and a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chaplin served as the inaugural Curator of Public Engagement at Dia Art Foundation and is a 2021-2023 alum of the Tulsa Artist Fellowship. 

Central to her practice are themes of reclamation, power, and transformation, through which she navigates institutional frameworks to forge new models of community engagement. Her dedication to social justice is evident in her efforts to dismantle oppressive systems and create spaces of embodied equity. Her multifaceted work, which spans liberatory pedagogy, cultural production, research, and material practice, reflects her connection with a broad spectrum of cultural practitioners. She creates work that invites a journey of discovery and illuminates the interconnectedness of all life.

Chaplin has collaborated with renowned organizations such as The Lowry in Salford, Manchester, UK, International Street Theatre Festival d'Aurillac, Greenpeace France, FKA Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art Rotterdam, and the Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. As a visiting artist and lecturer, she has shared her critical perspectives with institutions, including the Studio Museum in Harlem, Rush Arts Foundation, Howard University, NYU, Hunter College, Princeton University, The New School, Vassar College, and Harvard Graduate School of Education.
 
She is instrumental in galvanizing innovators and champions the rich knowledge teeming at the margins. Cultivating communities of practice that embrace authentic ways of learning, creating, and living is at the heart of her work. She brings a rich tapestry of knowledge and insight into her creative process, allowing her to world-build across mediums, disciplines, and audiences.