Kwamé Azure Gomez's Debut Solo Exhibition in Chelsea

In this episode of All Of It, host David C. First speaks with artist Kwame Azur-Gomez about her debut solo exhibition, 'Set the Atmosphere,' at the Marianne Boski Gallery in Chelsea. The exhibition, on view through April 18th, features large-scale, dynamic paintings that blend layered color, movement, and spiritual resonance. Gomez draws from her experiences as a dancer in a gospel liturgical group in Ohio and her immersion in Chicago’s queer ballroom culture to create works that evoke ritual, intimacy, and ancestral memory. Her process involves both additive and subtractive techniques, with a deep synesthetic relationship to color and a focus on uncovering hidden forms within the canvas. The show is deeply personal, referencing her grandmothers, family traditions, and the emotional weight of Black femme identity, spirituality, and queer love. Gomez also shares how poetry—particularly the work of Lucille Clifton—guides her studio practice, offering daily inspiration and emotional grounding. The episode reveals how Gomez’s art functions as both a visual and somatic experience, inviting viewers to confront their own humanity through scale, color, and symbolism. Pieces like 'Backwater Blue New Moon after Diane' and 'Lover Scene 2, Them, Their Eyes' weave together personal history, musical references, and spiritual inquiry. The conversation underscores the intersection of performance, memory, and visual art, positioning Gomez as a vital new voice in contemporary painting. Her work challenges viewers to slow down, reflect, and feel the weight of presence, movement, and legacy.