Lennon Jno-Baptiste

1972 Born in Dominica, West Indies
Lives and works in New York City and Paris



For several years I've worked on different subjects delving mostly into the legends of African-American history. I am recycling iconic symbols of this culture and assemble versions of past events that reflect the current politics in a way of exposing the inherent power of these constructed images. In that purpose, I use recurrent characters in my compositions, among them, the Hottentot Venus (a young woman named Sarah Baartman, originally from a tribe in South Africa, who was brought to England at the beginning of the 19th century, and was put on exhibition), the Chicken Man (in the 1930s, Burt Williams was one of the first Black entertainers; in a time of racial segregation, he acted grimmed with burnt cork and costumed as a rooster to get more respect from his audience, but perhaps also to mock the racial situation in the US and elsewhere), or the Boxer (Muhammad Ali was one of the first Black boxing Champion to receive international recognition).

I intend to take this aspect of my understanding of what the African woman and also African male represent in past and present society. By placing some of the characters, based on factual ...

EDUCATION

1990 - 1993 Advertising Design, New York City Technical College, City University of New York

RESIDENCIES

2005 Atlantic Center for the Arts, with Master Artist Fiona Rae, Florida, U. S. A

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

1998 Jonathan Shorr Gallery, New York; Au 5000Hz

1996 Atmosphere Gallery, New York; Lennon Jno-Baptiste: Paintings

1995 Atmosphere Gallery, New York; American Dream

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2005 CJD, Paris, Group exhibition (10 May - 30 June)

2004 Galerie Catherine Bastide, Brussels, Dessins et des autres (13 May 13 June)
Galerie Anne de Villepoix, Paris, Dessins et des autres (22 Jan - 28 Feb)

2003 Roebling Hall in Soho, Summer Jam (28 June - 26 July), curated by Franklin Sirmans
Stackhouse Gallery, New York, Urbanites New York, London, Tokyo (10 April-10 May)

2002 La Fabbrica del Vapore & Open Space Americas Remixed (24 Sept-27Oct) Milano, A Project by Roberto Plnto With Euridice Arratia, Jen Budney and Franklin Sirmans (catalogue: essay by Franklin Sirmans)
Roger Smith Gallery, New York; Model Citizens, curated by Janet Dees
Triple Candie, New York; Rumors of War, curated by Franklin Sirmans
Exit Art, New York; Reactions
Read more