Juxtapoz Magazine - What's Left, Never Left: Auudi Dorsey @ Jonathan Carver Moore, San Francisco

"The exhibition features a new body of work developed during Dorsey's six-week residency at the gallery and features his largest works to date. The artist continues his research into the history of African American communities and water, a subject he began exploring in 2022. Drawing on archival photographs and records, Dorsey highlights the once-vibrant history of leisure spaces central to African American communities-spaces that fostered joy, community, and resilience, yet have largely been erased through systemic neglect, environmental shifts, and redevelopment."

"Through his research and artistic practice, his paintings reframe these histories to challenge contemporary narratives of distance between African Americans and aquatic life. Centering the experiences of African women in particular, Dorsey's work draws attention to the generational loss of swimming knowledge that has contributed to disproportionately high drowning rates within African American communities. Through this work, Dorsey also seeks to restore a sense of confidence, ownership, and belonging in aquatic spaces."

Auudi Dorsey presents a new body of work created during a six-week residency, including his largest paintings to date. The work continues research into the history of African American communities and their relationships with water, a focus begun in 2022. Archival photographs and records inform paintings that resurrect once-vibrant leisure spaces that fostered joy, community, and resilience but were erased by neglect, environmental change, and redevelopment. The work centers African women and highlights generational loss of swimming knowledge that contributes to higher drowning rates. The paintings aim to restore confidence, ownership, and belonging in aquatic spaces while envisioning reclamation and empowerment.

Read at Juxtapoz