The Westward Expansion

This series of paintings, drawings and prints by New Orleans-Houston based artist Damion Hunter demonstrates how life extends beyond it’s own subjective limits and oftentimes tells a story about the experiences of migration and cultural interactions over the latter half of the twentieth century.

The exhibit will explore a culmination of many lifetimes by applying a poetically and often metaphorical approach, D. Hunter wants the viewer to become part of the art as a kind of added component to the experience. His creative process challenges the binaries we continually reconstruct between Self and Others. D. Hunter works are based on inspiring situations during travels; visions that reflect a sensation of indisputably and serene contemplation, combined with subtle details of odd or eccentric, humorist elements.

“My work is a collection of a variety of resources, a collection of experiences. It's about understanding history, understanding the power of history, the power of power, the power of beauty, the power of transformation, and the power of purpose. Our ancestors opened the doors of our Nation to foreign people, these guests were welcomed with respect and honour according to our traditions but they used our kindness to destroy and cause division amongst Africans and our cultural traditions.

"Staging a show of this scale, caliber and expectation is a long and monumental effort," said D. Hunter. "It is an ecstatic feeling to finally open the doors to our visitors to discover the show after more than a year of deep planning by our multi-talented collective and our team."