About the Exhibition:
Adeshola Makinde’s latest body of work, I SHOOK UP THE WORLD, draws its title from Muhammad Ali’s triumphant proclamation following a career-defining victory. Through the logic of collage, image appropriation, and rephotography, Makinde reshapes the narrative of Black achievement by mining the historic archives of the Johnson Publishing Company. By sourcing images from iconic publications like Ebony and Jet magazines, he re-contextualizes visual records, splicing and reprinting them to craft powerful portraits of influential Black figures.
Collage is a medium traditionally associated with political activism and archival exploration. The act of cutting and rearranging reflects not only a physical manipulation of material but also a deeper interrogation of history and identity. While the edges of his assembled images imply demarcation, their overlap signals convergence and unification, giving way to forms anew.
By Makinde’s hands, images transcend their original context, elevating overlooked material and re-presenting it for contemporary celebration. I SHOOK UP THE WORLD is on view at Anthony Gallery at 1360 W. Lake Street from August 30th to September 28th, 2024.
