JIHAN GEARON: Tricky
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 15
Members Preview 5-6 pm
Public Reception 6-8
Artist Talk by Jihan Gearon: Thursday, April 20, 6 pm
Jihan Gearon’s TRICKY includes and builds on the artist’s November 2022 exhibition SURRENDER: Quarantine Questions | Pandemic Wisdom. Surrender – to surrender, to give oneself up – was the key theme of that body of work. In surrendering, Gearon is learning to believe in herself; give and receive love more deeply; foster excitement instead of fear; and transform bitterness, isolation, and ego into compassion, wisdom, and awareness that all is connected.
But surrendering can be tricky. What about all those parts of ourselves we don’t want to be, let alone surrender ourselves to? What of doubt, jealousy, pride, fear? How can we navigate those chaotic waters? Previous and new paintings will offer guides, warnings, and experiences through tricky situations.
About the Artist
Jihan Gearon is an Indigenous feminist, painter, writer, organizer, and leader in environmental justice. Gearon is Diné and Nahiłií (Black), originally from the community of Old Sawmill, Arizona on the Navajo Nation; she is Tódích’ií’nii (Bitter Water clan) and her maternal grandfather is Tł’ashchí’í (Red Bottom clan). Gearon is a graduate of Stanford University with a Bachelor of Science in Earth Systems and a focus in Energy Science and Technology. She currently serves on the advisory board of the Environmental Justice Movement Fellowship at The New School. Her work over the past 15 years – particularly with the Black Mesa Water Coalition, the Indigenous Environmental Network, and the Climate Justice Alliance – has made her a nationally recognized movement leader in environmental and climate justice, just transition, Indigenous Peoples rights, and Indigenous feminism. Gearon was awarded the NDN Changemaker Fellowship in 2020, the Black Women Green Future Award in 2021, and is featured in the recently released book Notable Native People. At the age of thirty-five, Gearon was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. As part of her journey of healing she turned to painting and has since prioritized it in her life. She believes art encourages the nuanced and difficult conversations necessary in today’s changing world.
