“Floating Azaleas” Collage

The relevance and shaping presence of history in our lives and the power of myth and symbol—have long been essential themes for Ife, from her early days as an expatriate artist living and working in Ghana, West Africa, through her political and creative practice. In her mixed media works, she explores African American history and family traditions, incorporating meaningful artifacts, images, and symbols. She is drawn to communicating across barriers: visually and practically. She uses collage and mixed media, Adinkra, and various African writing symbols and the use of repeated patterning of cloth among her materials. Her work has been exhibited at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, African American Museum of Art and Culture, New Orleans, LA, the Art + Peace Museum in Philadelphia, Moore College of Art Gallery, and Community Folk Art Center, Syracuse, New York.