Throughout her career, Brooklyn-based artist Sana Musasama has drawn inspiration from travel and research into global cultures. Returning to Ourselves centers around a series of dolls that Musasama produced that mirror African-American topsy turvy dolls containing a white doll whose skirt can be flipped up to transform it into a Black doll. Musasama uses this formal structure to juxtapose different figures drawn from the global Black diaspora. Returning to Ourselves is rounded out by a series of ceramic houses Musasama began early in her career but returned to during the pandemic to combat looming depression.  

Sofía Luz Pérez is a Mexican American artist born in Austin, Texas and raised in Central New York. Her work often depicts ancient feminine archetypes while referencing self-portraiture, bringing together the ancient wisdom of her pre-Colombian cultural heritage with her present-day self. “My practice stems from an inner narrative that I’m working through. Much of my work has been inspired by the experience I’ve had with healing illness, and by the healing of generational family trauma. I address both the physical and nonphysical (spiritual) aspects of those processes. I began drawing self-portraits to document my process and progression in the aftermath of the diagnosis.” “Since then, I usually depict a fusion of self-portraiture and images of empowerment with symbolism from my ancestral heritage. I often reference archetypes through the powerful goddess imagery from Aztec mythology. I began my exploration into my ancient indigenous heritage many years ago, and it has been a key component in my creative practice.” Hours: Wednesday – Friday 2–6pm Saturday 12–4pm

Throughout her career, Brooklyn-based artist Sana Musasama has drawn inspiration from travel and research into global cultures. Returning to Ourselves centers around a series of dolls that Musasama produced that mirror African-American topsy turvy dolls containing a white doll whose skirt can be flipped up to transform it into a Black doll. Musasama uses this formal structure to juxtapose different figures drawn from the global Black diaspora. Returning to Ourselves is rounded out by a series of ceramic houses Musasama began early in her career but returned to during the pandemic to combat looming depression.  

Sofía Luz Pérez is a Mexican American artist born in Austin, Texas and raised in Central New York. Her work often depicts ancient feminine archetypes while referencing self-portraiture, bringing together the ancient wisdom of her pre-Colombian cultural heritage with her present-day self. “My practice stems from an inner narrative that I’m working through. Much of my work has been inspired by the experience I’ve had with healing illness, and by the healing of generational family trauma. I address both the physical and nonphysical (spiritual) aspects of those processes. I began drawing self-portraits to document my process and progression in the aftermath of the diagnosis.” “Since then, I usually depict a fusion of self-portraiture and images of empowerment with symbolism from my ancestral heritage. I often reference archetypes through the powerful goddess imagery from Aztec mythology. I began my exploration into my ancient indigenous heritage many years ago, and it has been a key component in my creative practice.” Hours: Wednesday – Friday 2–6pm Saturday 12–4pm

Throughout her career, Brooklyn-based artist Sana Musasama has drawn inspiration from travel and research into global cultures. Returning to Ourselves centers around a series of dolls that Musasama produced that mirror African-American topsy turvy dolls containing a white doll whose skirt can be flipped up to transform it into a Black doll. Musasama uses this formal structure to juxtapose different figures drawn from the global Black diaspora. Returning to Ourselves is rounded out by a series of ceramic houses Musasama began early in her career but returned to during the pandemic to combat looming depression.  

Sofía Luz Pérez is a Mexican American artist born in Austin, Texas and raised in Central New York. Her work often depicts ancient feminine archetypes while referencing self-portraiture, bringing together the ancient wisdom of her pre-Colombian cultural heritage with her present-day self. “My practice stems from an inner narrative that I’m working through. Much of my work has been inspired by the experience I’ve had with healing illness, and by the healing of generational family trauma. I address both the physical and nonphysical (spiritual) aspects of those processes. I began drawing self-portraits to document my process and progression in the aftermath of the diagnosis.” “Since then, I usually depict a fusion of self-portraiture and images of empowerment with symbolism from my ancestral heritage. I often reference archetypes through the powerful goddess imagery from Aztec mythology. I began my exploration into my ancient indigenous heritage many years ago, and it has been a key component in my creative practice.” Hours: Wednesday – Friday 2–6pm Saturday 12–4pm

Join us for a two-part workshop with exhibiting artist Sofía Luz Pérez and Syracuse artist Cayetano Valenzuela. In this workshop, Cayetano Valenzuela and Sofía Luz Pérez will share their own practices and processes in making a portrait/self-portrait and ask participants to create a portrait or self-portrait. The emphasis of the portrait should be on identity and cultural background/ancestry, but they encourage everyone to delve into any part of themselves or the person they are drawn to portraying. This is a free workshop with limited space available. We ask that you attend both sessions. Art supplies will be provided and you are welcome to also bring your own. Workshop #1 April 28 2-4pm Week one will begin by detailing their approach to creating a portrait, which can include any research that needs to be done, any preliminary sketches and references, and then materials to be used. They will present their art to demonstrate their processes. Workshop #2 May 5 2-4pm In the second workshop (Sunday May 5th) , they will help guide everyone to use their materials and research to create their own portraits/self-portraits. Everyone is encouraged and welcomed to bring in materials to draw and/or collage. Materials can include colored pencil, pen, oil pastels, magazine cut-outs, any kind of paper/collage material that can be adhered to paper or canvas.

Sofía Luz Pérez is a Mexican American artist born in Austin, Texas and raised in Central New York. Her work often depicts ancient feminine archetypes while referencing self-portraiture, bringing together the ancient wisdom of her pre-Colombian cultural heritage with her present-day self. “My practice stems from an inner narrative that I’m working through. Much of my work has been inspired by the experience I’ve had with healing illness, and by the healing of generational family trauma. I address both the physical and nonphysical (spiritual) aspects of those processes. I began drawing self-portraits to document my process and progression in the aftermath of the diagnosis.” “Since then, I usually depict a fusion of self-portraiture and images of empowerment with symbolism from my ancestral heritage. I often reference archetypes through the powerful goddess imagery from Aztec mythology. I began my exploration into my ancient indigenous heritage many years ago, and it has been a key component in my creative practice.” Hours: Wednesday – Friday 2–6pm Saturday 12–4pm