Digital Print 1 of 3 Mixed media, Nisha Kaur Sethi is an artist/activist from Berkeley, California. As a woman of color who is deeply invested in uplifting her community, Nisha’s work serves as seeds for the resistance in which bright, bold lettering and images dance their way into the streets where they echo the chants and songs of the people.
Join us at Betti Ono for a Women’s History Month 2020 as we welcome TFNT artist in residence Nisha Kaur Seth this First Friday, March 6th from 6-9pm!
Nisha Kaur Sethi is an artist/activist from Berkeley, California. As a woman of color who is deeply invested in uplifting her community, Nisha’s work serves as seeds for the resistance in which bright, bold lettering and images dance their way into…
Join the Wakanda Dream Lab @ Betti Ono for #BlackFreedomBeyondBorders A Night of Interactive Storytelling with Augmented Reality
Friday, November 1st, from 6pm – 9 pm. FREE All Ages.
Betti Ono (1427 Broadway, Oakland)
In our interactive panel and workshop, we invite the Wakanda Fandom to become worldbuilders of Black Futures and Freedom! We will bring the Wakandra Dream Lab to life through…
James Baldwin transcended literature to become a cultural icon in a world hostile to people who are Black, gay, and exponentially moreso to people who are both. He pioneered much of the conversation in America about race and identity, and his fierce fidelity for seeking and speaking the truth continues to inspire the work we do at BETTI ONO today. In honor of Black queerness this Oakland Pride…
Inspired by the invention and cultural foresight of Wakanda, Wakanda Dream Lab weaves together movement building and pop culture to inspire Black Oaklanders to define what liberation looks like. As artists in residence for Betti Ono’s The Fire Next Time: A Call & Response, this collective will launch “Black Future. Black Freedom. Black Oakland.” on August 2.
What does art have to do with housing equity, city planning or the cost of living in Oakland? Founding Director Anyka Barber recently broke down Betti Ono’s vision to be a “space for art, culture, and community” on Bloom Network Podcast. Listen to her explain how creatives are paving the way to a more just world, one exhibit at a time.
Join the Betti Ono 100, a social club that powers arts, culture and community resilience.
Becoming a member of the Betti Ono 100 is an opportunity to be in fellowship with an engaged and influential community of artists, community builders, residents, and all-around arts lovers committed to the sustainability of Betti Ono and Black women led cultural spaces and creative communities.
Adorn is a series of surreal images inspired by traditional African motifs,
jewelry, adornments, and fashion. In most African cultures adornments are
not merely for decorative purposes. They convey values, beliefs, status,
and achievements. They play roles in ritual and ceremony while honoring
the gods, goddesses, and ancestors. They are a form of communication
and storytelling. They also speak of the deep connection African cultures
have to nature. This way of life has been passed down from generation to
generation dating all the way back to ancient Africa. Over time many of
these adornments and fashions have transformed and morphed into
modern day versions that still pay homage to the ancestors. New
hairstyles, jewelry and fashion all inspired by their ancient forms.
The work of Paul Lewin mixes traditional Caribbean and African imagery with visions of the surreal. The women in Adorn wear the traditional head coverings from the northern nomadic peoples of Africa. Although here they seem to be made of a strange organic shape shifting material. Some have large irregular shaped jewelry with traditional African patterns indicating a high status in their community. Others have natural hairstyles adorned by pendants animated with juju. Their foreheads have tiny African masks permanently attached to them indicating their connection to the spirit world. Some seem to have the ability to directly communicate with animals.
As an artist, Lewin has always been fascinated by the concept of alternate realities. http://www.paullewin.com
What can be deemed as a visual representation of Maya Angelou’s, “And Still We Rise,” through her camera lens, Waheed’s Black Joy & Resistance masterfully captures, “The Souls of Black Folks,” and the majesty that flows outward when we tap into our true authentic selves.
