Auudi Dorsey, an African-American artist who was born and raised in the Black community of the southern United States, reflects his identity and pride in his own identity and the culture in which he grew up in his works. This is the first solo exhibition "We Just Got To See Us" held in Hong Kong. We interviewed this artist who came to Hong Kong for the first time to learn more about his creative background and story.
Regardless of space, place and time, the Black community has always been resilient, but at the same time it is also under a lot of external pressure. WOAW Gallery holds a solo exhibition "We Just Got To See Us" for American artist Auudi Dorsey, and displays 11 new works by the artist at Wan Chai Gallery in Hong Kong. Regarding this art project collaboration, Kevin Poon, founder of WOAW Gallery, said that they are committed to connecting Chinese and Western cultures: "I have lived in the United States before. As an Asian living in a foreign country, I can be considered an ethnic minority. Although I am not Black, But I can also understand some of the pain faced by ethnic minorities. In addition, I like their culture. For example, New Orleans is the birthplace of Jazz music, as well as basketball, cars, Hip hop culture, etc. It's worth letting more people know about it."
American artist Auudi Dorsey also shared his views on this solo exhibition.
How do you feel about holding your first solo exhibition in Hong Kong (also in Asia), and what do you think of the artistic atmosphere here?
This is my first solo exhibition in Asia, here in Hong Kong. I had heard about the Hong Kong artist Stephen Wong (黄金只) earlier. I had seen his works on the Internet before coming to Hong Kong. I like his painting style very much. The paintings he paints are like outdoor landscape sketches, including natural landscapes, mountainous areas, self-driving travel and other elements that I like. Putting these together is like a complete cycle.
This exhibition is called "We Just Got To See Us". Is there any meaning behind it?
This is the song "The Neverending Story" from American rapper Jay Electronica. The second verse of the song is excerpted from the last line "Everybody want to be us for real, We just got to see us" sung by JAY-Z.
As an African-American artist, how did growing up in the American South influence your art?
I want the people in my community to be seen and respected because it is the people who bring the community together. Objects that often appear in the paintings such as white T-shirts, cars, playing cards, cigarettes and other elements are also the daily life of people from New Orleans, where I grew up. I want to give value to things that people see as worthless, or tell the story of how we still maintain our ancestral culture, and how New Orleans as a place influences my work.
How do you incorporate your thoughts or feelings about the Black community into your paintings?
One of the most important is through the characters that I paint, I try to revisit certain moments in my life through my work. Most of my work includes young or middle-aged Black men, even the clothing depicted. I grew up seeing many Black men, even myself, wearing white t-shirts every day, which is a very nostalgic feeling. It is a great sense of satisfaction for me when I can see portraits of people like my friend's uncle, or ordinary people in the community appearing in places they never thought they would see themselves.
Your work celebrates the resilience and spirit of the Black community, can you talk more about it?
Yes, even with all the difficulties we go through, we can still find joy and inspiration to keep moving forward. Every time I finish a new piece, I feel like it celebrates our resilience. Especially as a person from New Orleans, it's very traditional to celebrate. We even celebrate after funerals. I think that pushes me as a creator to continue to evolve. I'm also inspired by great people like Kobe Bryant, Kerry James Marshall, and Muhammed Ali. Overall, I believe that being Black is about resilience, so my work is done in a way that hopefully creates a breakthrough for other artists who feel the same way.
What do you think of the challenges that the Black community continues to face in today's more open-minded world, both in the past and now?
The Black community still lacks economic structure and access to better things, but I'll keep this short. It's a very complex question and can have a very complex answer. I hope that one day my art can inspire young people so that they can see themselves in my work.
What motivated you to become an artist? What do you want to achieve as an artist?
To make thoughts and feelings into something tangible, like magic. As a child I used to make things with my hands all the time, so I knew my love for anything in this world was right in front of me. The first time I visited a museum was to learn how to use a paintbrush. I always remember seeing my first Barkley Hendricks work and being so inspired, it reminded me of my aunt and uncle at my family gatherings. I want to see more work by this great artist. For me, being able to go to the studio and paint every day is a big accomplishment, so I will continue to follow this pattern. Everything that comes from it is just a reward.
How do you see the importance of art in your life?
Art keeps me sharp, but it also keeps me as a student to keep learning. I can say that art saved my life. In my early life, when I lost my mother and my friends at a young age, art became my comfort and an outlet for my emotions. Art is part of my DNA. I consider everything in this world, even things outside the canvas, as art, even the food I eat. I know that my work will outlive me, and I know that even if I leave one day, my presence here will still be seen and appreciated, so it becomes more important what works I leave behind.
Audi Dorsey Solo Exhibition "We Just Got to See Us"
Exhibition period: until July 22, 2023
Location: WOAW Gallery, 5 Sun Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
