Drawing its title from poet Elizabeth Alexander’s book of the same name, The Black Interior considers the practices of artists who explore the domestic space as creative inspiration and refuge for one’s inner world. The works on view, all from CAAM’s permanent collection, reflect on the objects and memories of home. The shower, the closet, the phone, a photo album, a doily, a handkerchief, masking tape, and a magazine all become expressive materials or generative subjects. Everyday routines and domestic traditions are sources for artistic decisions. From craft and collage to sculpture and video, the works in The Black Interior prompt us to see the imaginative possibilities in our home lives.

The Black Interior includes works by Sula Bermudez-Silverman, LaKela Brown, Henri Paul Broyard, Albert Chong, Mustafa Ali Clayton, Maren Hassinger, Willard Hill, Janna Ireland, Doyle Lane, Adia Millet, Dominique Moody, Rosalyn Myles, John Outterbridge, Sandra Rowe, Betye Saar, Tschabalala Self, Hana Ward, Lisa Diane Wedgeworth, and Brenna Youngblood.

The Black Interior: Imagining Home in the Permanent Collection is curated by Kristin Juarez, independent curator and Senior Research Specialist, Getty Research Institute.