Olamina (How do we learn to love each other while we are embattled), 2022
Oil and acrylic on archival printed canvas
86 3/8 x 114 1/2 in.
219.4 x 290.8 cm
219.4 x 290.8 cm
$ 300,000.00
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In this painting, Firelei Báez foregrounds a female figure, whose pose is in part inspired by an archival image of civil rights activist Freedom Riders sleeping in church pews. Stretched...
In this painting, Firelei Báez foregrounds a female figure, whose pose is in part inspired by an archival image of civil rights activist Freedom Riders sleeping in church pews. Stretched across the width of the canvas in a glorious state of repose, the figure, robed in a diaphanous ruffled dress, luxuriates on a plush shag rug. With flesh transformed into a swirling map of the cosmos and a visage almost completely obscured by an unfolding bouquet of blooms, her body becomes a hallowed site–unfixed from time and space.
The figure, and the work's title, makes a loving reference to Lauren Olamina, the protagonist in Octavia Butler’s "Parable of the Sower" (1993). In this book, which begins in the year 2024, American society has grown unstable due to extreme climate change, growing wealth inequality, and corporate greed, drawing an uncanny parallel to our present historical moment. This painting by Báez echoes a scene in Parable of the Sower, where Lauren must rest before going into battle, prioritizing self-care and healing as a form of resistance.
The figure, and the work's title, makes a loving reference to Lauren Olamina, the protagonist in Octavia Butler’s "Parable of the Sower" (1993). In this book, which begins in the year 2024, American society has grown unstable due to extreme climate change, growing wealth inequality, and corporate greed, drawing an uncanny parallel to our present historical moment. This painting by Báez echoes a scene in Parable of the Sower, where Lauren must rest before going into battle, prioritizing self-care and healing as a form of resistance.
Exhibitions
James Cohan Tribeca, Americananana, October 27 – December 21, 2022
Firelei Báez, ICA Boston, Boston, MA, April 4 – September 2, 2024
Firelei Báez, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, CA, November 3, 2024 – March 16, 2025
Firelei Báez, Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, IA, June 14, 2025—September 21 2025 (forthcoming)