No one forgets a first kiss, a caress from a loved one, seeing soft light touching a focused subject in a photograph or hearing the perfect note pleasantly ending a jazz solo. A kiss can be simple and unique, complicated and ambiguous, full of possibilities and full of questions marks. Such questions marks, with uncharted answers, permeate the works within Laylah Ali's first solo UK exhibit titled the kiss and other warriors on display at London's inIVA from January 17 through February 24. Yes, yes, y'all, she has done it again.
In this latest exhibit, curated by Cylena Simonds Ali keenly experiments with the playfulness of her art while at the same time conveying troubling and at times indefinite and wavering stories with her cartoon-like imagery. The "take-home" piece for any viewer of this exhibit, which will include her paintings and newly commissioned drawings, is that her art is not only pointed but profound, offering an eerie resemblance to present-day conflicts and continuing her exploration of the social dynamics of violence and cultural difference.
