Inheritance at the Muhammad Ali Center (Louisville, KY) - January -April 2020
Imar Hutchins is an artist by birthright who has spent a lifetime collecting his inheritance. By amassing a museum-worthy collection of historic reference documents and tracing family histories towards their origins, he has equipped himself for the self-assigned task to pass learned wisdom along to future generations. This task of an educator is considered a sacred obligation, and it is one that quite literally runs through Imar’s bloodlines. This solo exhibition, titled Inheritance, fuses his prolific printmaking practice with his signature work as a collagist, imprinting stories recorded in his family archives onto the surfaces of his mixed media portraiture. Each portrait depicts a person of supreme significance, some directly related to Imar by blood and some adopted through a spiritual bond. But, all are uplifted into one visual documentary in recognition of their contributions to the realm of knowledge for the collective benefit of building a unified human family.
– Zoma Wallace, Curator, Inheritance
Inheritance at Pyramid Atlantic (Hyattsville, MD) & University of Kentucky - September - October 2019
Chattel at Gallery Josephine (Martha’s Vineyard) - August - September 2018
Sacred Cows at Prince George’s African American Museum - February - May 2017
Imar Hutchins explores the legacy of African American resiliency in the face of injustice through a series of collage and mixed-media portraits. Adorned in elaborate jewelry and colorful symbolism his portraits are not only decorated in fanciful garb, but also cloaked in honor and dignity. Inspired by the reverence bestowed on cows in India, his work offers a unique commentary on the (mis)treatment of Black people in America. Hutchins' use of vintage Jet, Ebony and Life magazines along with old newspaper clippings helps to contextualize the Black American experience, while his surrealist imagery reimagines what it means to be seen as Black.
The works featured in Sacred Cows depict close friends and family members of the artist including his daughter, father and great uncle. His highly stylized portraits are not meant to be realistic representations of the individuals, but seek to reveal their inner beauty and inherent divinity. Animal characteristics, such as cow ears and horns, are added to the faces, as well as adinkra symbols and religious iconology, which are woven into the background of his assemblages. Through the blending of species, cultures and belief systems the artist calls attention to the parallels and paradoxes of sacred cattle and exploited chattel.
— Martina Dodd, Curator, Sacred Cows
