Cassi Namoda

(untitled, Namoda's second sculpture)

Artist Statement
There is seemingly a notion that we are all being “tried” or “tested” as a people. I thought about in a reflective sense this is a crucial time for letting go of what no longer serves us, a sense of shedding. I naturally thought of the serpent as a creature which is constantly shedding old skin. I feel we are shedding old skin too, and entering a new world of unexplored territory. I created this site specific sculpture to expand on this notion.

Biography
Cassi Namoda (b. 1988 Maputo, Mozambique) is a painter and performance artist who explores the intricacies of social dynamics and mixed cultural and racial identity. Capturing scenes of everyday life, from mundane moments to life-changing events, Namoda paints a vibrant and nuanced portrait of post-colonial Mozambique within an increasingly globalised world. Namoda deftly captures scenes which have the appearance of film stills: fleeting snapshots within much larger narratives. Her paintings range from bustling, faceless crowds to close-up individual portraits and her characters often stare out of the paintings, locking eyes with the viewer and breaking the fourth wall. Interweaving her own memories and imagination with images from archival photographs and the works of other artists, Namoda reflects on the cultural specificity of Mozambique, her birthplace and home for several years. Recent solo exhibitions include François Ghebaly, Los Angeles and Nina Johnson Gallery, Miami. Namoda’s work has been included in exhibitions at Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, New York; Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, New York; CFHILL, Stockholm; Library Street Collective, Detroit; Nicodim Galleries, Los Angeles and Bucharest. This year Namoda was named one of the ‘Rising Arts Stars of 2020’ by Elephant Magazine and was commissioned to paint a cover for the January issue of Vogue Italia. Her work is held in the collection of Pérez Art Museum, Miami. She works between Los Angeles and New York.