Cassava Garden 2015

Curator: Njideka Akunyili Crosby's "Cassava Garden," created in 2015, is a captivating mixed media work. It strikes me immediately as a kind of vibrant, yet slightly unsettling Eden. Editor: Unsettling, yes, but perhaps purposefully so. Note the artist's strategic use of layering; it disrupts any conventional reading of depth. The flatness, amplified by the interplay of patterns, rejects any sense of spatial coherence we might expect from the title. Curator: Indeed. The cassava plant, heavily laden with symbolism in West African cultures, becomes a vehicle for exploring identity and memory here. Its leaves, seemingly collaged from newsprint and personal photographs, present a multi-faceted narrative. We see cultural references interwoven with hints of personal history. Editor: The layering is key to deciphering its symbolism. Cassava itself signifies sustenance, resilience. The incorporation of superimposed images and patterns related to Nigeria transform the canvas into a dense tapestry of meaning, pointing to the complexities of cross-cultural identity. I find myself looking for meaning through recognition. Curator: And let's not overlook the formal structure itself. See how the division of the background plane—one section pale yellow, the other overlaid with that repeating graphic of an idealized, historical female figure – creates tension. The contrast adds another layer to her commentary on the self in relation to society. It reminds one of textiles or even wallpaper designs. Editor: Exactly. The figure recalls images of progress and independence but filtered through nostalgia. It becomes part of the language, adding to the exploration of inherited iconography and aspirations. And against those images of hope and advancement is this dense foliage and shadow. Curator: In this tension, the personal and the historical converge; "Cassava Garden" stands as a powerful meditation on belonging and the construction of identity within a globalized world. It has a striking stillness. Editor: Yes, despite the dynamism of its patterns, a powerful statement on cultural memory emerges. It encourages the viewer to engage in decoding layers, making for an unexpectedly complex work.