Hammonds House Museum presents
Nu Africans
ABOUT GRACE KISA
Grace Kisa is a Kenyan American artist based in Atlanta, Georgia. A multimedia artist whose primary expression is sculpture, her process is improvisational, a combination of creative play and problem solving. The materials that she uses vary from clay, metal, wood, fiber, and resin. with a focus on recycling and repurposing ordinary objects. Her work draws inspiration from the experiences of a childhood spent in Kenya, Ethiopia, Botswana, Virginia, and as a practicing artist in Georgia.
By taking what is familiar and transforming it, she creates narratives that engage various histories while working through concepts of intersectional identities, examining the processes of migration and cultural exchange beyond borders. Particular attention is given to ideas of comfort, alienation, adaptation and assimilation. Set against how that relates in a globalized world. Grace graduated from the Art Institute in Atlanta, Georgia and has worked as a professional artist for over 20 years exhibiting in Solo and group exhibitions across the United States.
Notably, in 2024 Grace Kisa is exhibiting with the European Cultural Centre in Venice Italy in the exhibition titled “Personal Structures: Beyond Boundaries” in the context of the Venice Biennale. 2023 International Sculpture Conference keynote presentation artists Wilie Cole and Grace Kisa 2021 Public Art Commission by The Atlanta Beltline collaboration, artists Grace Kisa and Ellex Swavoni purchased for their permanent collection. 2020 Nu Africans exhibition at Hammonds House Museum, Atlanta Georgia, curator Leatrice Ellzy. Grace has been published in The New York Times, Forbes, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, and ArtsAtl, Black Art In America, and Rolling Out.
ABOUT MAURICE EVANS
Born in Smyrna, Tennessee but raised in Atlanta, GA, Maurice Evans creative focus was first realized through his relationship with music. His mother, a teacher, supported and reinforced his creative ability by allowing him to help design her classroom bulletin boards each year. By the time Maurice graduated from Griffin High School, he had gained recognition as a talented artist and had the confidence to pursue his passion.
In 1986, he was accepted to the Art Institute of Atlanta, where he studied Fashion Illustration to advance his painting and drawing skills. After college, Maurice pursued several odd jobs working for small and large design firms but ultimately could not achieve the artistic freedom he yearned for as an independent artist. In 1994, with the support of his family and friends, he had his first successful exhibition at the juried Black Arts Festival in Atlanta. From there, he soon bought a booth at the New York Art Expo, where he was introduced to new clients and collectors and grew to mass produce his artwork for museums and galleries internationally.
