Tiger Strikes Asteroid Los Angeles (TSA LA) is delighted to present Between Walls, I Find My Voice, a debut solo exhibition by contemporary visual artist Marie-Josè. Marie was one of two artists selected for a solo show from the TSA LA 2024 Open Call that garnered more than 400 applicants.

The exhibition, which explores themes of home, displacement, and cultural memory through vibrant and intricate mixed-media paintings, will be on view from January 11 through March 9, 2025.

This poignant body of work draws inspiration from familial photographs, personal heritage, and the artist's Nigerian roots. Through a dynamic blend of acrylics, textiles, rhinestones, and cyanotype, Marie-Josè’s paintings transcend static notions of home, presenting it instead as a fluid and emotionally resonant state of being. Each piece integrates details and materials—thread, glass, shells; lace, —that connect family members to specific times and places, reimagining home environments through surrealist elements like cloudscapes and abstract forms.  

Between Walls, I Find My Voice serves as a cathartic tool - a love letter to the homes of the artist’s past that live on in memory and in heritage. The overall idea of ‘home’ as perceived by the artist, is a representation of peace, safety & sacred connection. Growing up in Western society, home is often idealized - most imagine a nuclear family in a cookie-cutter suburban construction, where parents remain until passing and the home - its location, characteristics, and the people in it - remain a constant in the forming of identity. Due to a variety of factors in the artist’s personal family history - civil war, generational trauma, rising effects of gentrification & economic instability - the reality of what it means to have a home and ‘feel’ at home is based more on the people within it rather than the walls that sum it up. Between Walls, I Find My Voice expresses a tangible thread of love and resilience that transcends and survives the passage of time and the crumbling of walls. 

“Home is not just a physical space but a sanctuary shaped by the people within it,” says Marie-Josè. “This series is a tribute to the homes of my past - it also reflects the fluid reality shaped by historical trauma, gentrification, and familial and generational displacement.”  

Experience Between Walls, I Find My Voice, a visual exploration of home, belonging, and resilience through the lens of diasporic identity and personal memory, at Tiger Strikes Asteroid Los Angeles beginning January 11, 2025.

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Marie-Josè (b. San Francisco) is a mostly self-taught contemporary artist whose multidisciplinary practice delves into the complexities of the Black femme experience, blending painting, stained glass, mosaics, and cyanotype to create mixed media works. Currently based in Inglewood, California, they create based on personal and collective narratives, exploring themes of home, identity, and emotional well-being. Marie-Josè’s academic background in interior architecture (B.A. - Sacramento State) and urban planning (Master’s - CSU Northridge) enriches their understanding of spatial relationships and community dynamics, which inform their visually and emotionally resonant works. Their artistic journey has been shaped by a variety of residencies (including Studio Kura in Japan, Garagedoor Gallery in Albuquerque, and a forthcoming residency at Château Orquevaux in France), features in national and international exhibitions and art fairs (Aqua Art Miami, San Francisco Art Fair), as well as on the HBO television series Insecure. They’ve participated in multiple group exhibitions at colleges, museums, and galleries nationwide and locally (including Brea Gallery and ArtShare L.A.). Committed to community engagement, Marie’s public art projects and participation in panels highlight their dedication to fostering dialogue through art. Their work, featured in prominent publications and media, continues to push boundaries, reimagining Black liberation through an Afro-Surrealist lens.
mariejose-art.com
@mariejose.art

Meredith Lancaster is the Curator at the Compton Art & History Museum, where she leverages her expertise in art history and curation to celebrate the city’s rich cultural heritage. With over a decade of experience in art history, museum studies, and archival practices, she has curated exhibitions for prominent institutions such as Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and the University of Oregon; and galleries including Gallery Michael, Woman Made Gallery, and MW Galleries. Through innovative programming, Meredith amplifies underrepresented voices with a dedication to fostering inclusivity and community collaboration, creating immersive experiences that encourage dialogue and deepen appreciation for Compton's dynamic artistic landscape.
meredith@comptonmuseum.org
linkedin.com/in/meredithelancaster