For a Portland transplant, how lengthy does it take earlier than town looks like residence? Locals may say it’s when you’ll be able to accurately pronounce “Sofa” or “Willamette.” For artist Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe, it’s been practically eight years. His first solo present within the metropolis he’s referred to as residence since 2017—fittingly titled A Place I Name House—at Russo Lee Gallery.
Quaicoe rose to prominence throughout the pandemic, a time when the Black Lives Matter motion reignited nationwide consciousness round racial injustice and inequality. Whereas American discourse typically flattens Black identification right into a monolith of historic wrestle, Quaicoe gives a definite West African perspective. Reasonably than adopting a stance of defiance or subversion like Kehinde Wiley, Quaicoe channels an innate dignity—one knowledgeable by rising up in Ghana, the place racial hierarchy is absent. His topics exude quiet power, grounded in self-possession fairly than resistance.
That radiating energy pulses all through the exhibition. In Intisar Abioto, his good friend who first linked him with Portland’s broader artwork group, the topic leans barely again, gazing upward and to the left. Her floral black gown carries as a lot presence as her gaze. Whilst her ideas appear elsewhere, her vast, assured eyes draw us in—they anchor her.
Portland, with its mellow local weather and soft-spoken tradition, tends to ease the anxieties of newcomers. Its individuals could also be reserved, however they’re invariably heat, welcoming with a delicate contact. That spirit permeated the opening night time. A lot of Quaicoe’s sitters—some even dressed as they seem of their portraits—mingled with guests in a scene that felt extra like a neighborhood gathering than a proper reception. It wouldn’t have been misplaced to listen to Mister Rogers crooning “Gained’t you be my neighbor?” within the background.
Alice, a ceramic artist and one in all Quaicoe’s topics, shared the story of their connection. “At an occasion, I instructed him I used to be a fan of his work,” she stated. “Then he requested me to pose for a portrait. I couldn’t imagine mine could be the primary face you see while you stroll into the gallery.”
Maybe we owe this impact to Velázquez, who famously painted his assistant Juan de Pareja as a method of elevating his presence. Few advertising and marketing instruments are as highly effective because the sheer pleasure of sitters seeing themselves in paint. On opening night time, Alice grew to become a sensation, typically discovered close to her portrait, surrounded by guests murmuring “wow” and “aha” in delighted recognition.
Quaicoe’s aptitude for theatricality shines in his consideration to clothes. Like in opera, costume turns into character. Typically rendered in brilliant colours towards grayscale pores and skin tones, clothes function automobiles for persona and psychological nuance. Alice wore the identical dishevelled pink sweater from her portrait—its chunky, white, knitted flowers barely hanging from her broad shoulders, layered over a worn black T-shirt. She even carried the identical tote bag. “I didn’t even discover that element till I noticed the portray,” she stated. “Fisk Gallery is closed now,” she added, fondly referencing the origin of the tote. Fortuitously, the enterprise shall be remembered by way of this bag in her portrait.
One other portrait options younger artist Xavier Kelley, who shares a studio constructing with Quaicoe. “It’s exhausting to seek out,” Kelley laughed. “There’s a Dutch Bros close by, however if you happen to’re not paying consideration, you’ll cross the bridge over the Brooklyn rail yard, and miss it.”
Initially from Seattle, Kelley discovered kindred spirit in Portland’s inventive group. In his portrait, he’s seen wanting sideways, a paintbrush held in his mouth—as if caught mid-process, analyzing a piece in progress. Kelley appreciated how Quaicoe included a number of of his personal Afrofuturism work throughout the composition, in addition to classic toys displayed alongside the piece. “That’s my tradition,” he stated merely.
Different group figures featured embody Dr. William and Nathalie Johnson, in addition to John Goodwin from the Portland Artwork Museum. It was Goodwin who first organized a studio go to that led gallery proprietor Martha Lee to signify Quaicoe. The Johnsons weren’t dressed precisely as of their portrait, however their brilliant smiles made them appear as in the event that they’d simply stepped off the canvas. Artist Garrick Arnold, observing the couple within the portray, remarked, “They seem like the type of people that, once they invite you over, you simply know all the things shall be taken care of.”
Through the artist discuss, Quaicoe mentioned his early influences and evolving practices: film posters from his childhood, the dramas in black-and-white images that impressed his grayscale palette, and the choice to make use of thick paint textures — particularly throughout his Rubell residency, the place he confronted the biggest canvas of his profession. He additionally revealed a private ritual: he at all times paints the eyes first. “I can’t go on till they’re performed,” he stated.
Then, a query got here from the again of the room, with simply two phrases — “Why Portland?”
It’s a good query. Nestled within the Pacific Northwest, Portland lacks the glamour of L.A. and the media highlight of New York. But with main acquisitions by high artwork establishments and three museums presently exhibiting his work, Quaicoe may stay anyplace.
“Properly, my spouse is from right here,” Quaicoe answered with a smile. “However why not Portland? After getting back from L.A.—in spite of everything that craziness—I believed, I prefer it right here.” The Johnsons, standing close by, nodded enthusiastically, practically clapping.
Behind them stood a wall of quiet testimony: an artist turns into rooted when he finds his individuals and his group —household, pals, followers, and patrons—who come collectively to encourage, nourish, and maintain his creativity.
So, when does a transplant turn out to be a Portlander? Truman Capote might have stated it finest: “I stay right here by selection.”
