REIMAGINING LANDSCAPE
Victor Davson, Indigene Theresa Gaskin, Chenta Laury, and Lionel Lofton
Curators: Lamerol A. Gatewood and Michael D. Marshall
July 15, 2026 - August 29, 2026

Reception: Saturday, July 18, 3 pm - 6 pm

Press Release

REIMAGINING LANDSCAPE 

From July 15 through August 29, 2026, the Wilmer Jennings Gallery at Kenkeleba is pleased to present Reimagining Landscape, an exhibition curated by artists and educators, Lamerol Gatewood and Michael Marshall. The exhibition features four contemporary artists: Victor Davson, Indigene Theresa Gaskin, Chenta Laury and Lionel Lofton. The Opening Reception on July 18, 2026, from 3 – 6 pm includes a musical performance by Amina Claudine Myers and Melanie Dyer. 

This exhibition deconstructs and challenges the Western expectations of landscape painting that have historically been used as a colonial tool erasing indigenous landscapes and peoples, and ultimately romanticizing and reshaping stolen land to expand the West. Reimagining Landscape honors Richard Mayhew, noted Native and African American painter of abstract landscapes, as a foundation to broaden the concept of landscape painting in this post-colonial world. Through the use of bold colors and textures, the four artists depict various landscapes and facets of our world; from beautiful natural environments and imagined abstract landscapes to the current political climate. With their paintings, collages and weavings, the artists are able to reclaim geography from the colonial gaze and thus disrupt long-held traditions in Western landscape painting. 

Born in Georgetown, Guyana, Victor Davson’s sensibility as an artist was shaped by Guyana’s cultural diversity, urban and rural topography, the Guyana rainforest, and the anti-colonial struggle for independence in the 1960s. After earning a BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, Davson co-founded Alijra, a Center for Contemporary Art. During the 2020 COVID lockdown, Davson turned his attention to the trees and plant life surrounding his home in the Watchung Mountain Range of Northern New Jersey. This focus gave rise to a series of landscape paintings. Reflecting on this body of work, Davson notes, “In prioritizing myself, I had overlooked the vital contribution of trees—not only to my life, but to the sustainability of all life on the planet.” 

Through analog collage and mixed media, Indigene Theresa Gaskin creates layered visual narratives that explore history, memory, spirituality, and the resilience of Black communities. Drawing upon archival imagery, found materials, and textured surfaces, Gaskin transforms landscape into a space where memory, history, and identity intersect. In the work The Land Forgets Nothing, she reflects on the way memory and identity remain embedded in the places we inhabit, while honoring the histories and experiences carried across generations. Gaskin states, “Each collage becomes both an act of remembrance and a vision for the future—honoring those who came before while envisioning new possibilities for Black life and expression.” Raised in the Bronx and drawing on Caribbean heritage, Gaskin has exhibited nationally and abroad. 

Fiber artist Chenta Laury originally from O’ahu, Hawaii, employs various Hawaiian processes, such as Tapa, a form of barkcloth, and fiber art techniques like hand-felting and weaving to create intricate fiber sculptures. Her practice reflects her training at the Fiber Crafts Studio in Chestnut Ridge, New York, where she received a Certificate in Fiber Arts. Laury’s reimagined fiber landscapes explore the relationship between the current political climate and transforming personal identity. She associates “… this journey of finding and fitting the various pieces of ourselves together with patchwork.” This association can be seen in the interweaving of felt strips with a red, blue and white gradient in Form Over Color: Reimagining the Fabric of Our Democracy (2025). The resulting fabric becomes a metaphor for our global society: complex, interconnected, and resilient. 

Through abstraction, Lionel Lofton invites viewers to expand their minds and imaginations to find a connection to his work through the viewer’s personal memories. Inspired by artists such as Sam Gilliam and Al Loving, Lofton uses vibrant color, mixed media, and contemporary design to express what he describes as “the profound beauty of our environment.” Lofton studied under Dr. Clarence Talley, Sr. at Prairie View A&M University, and later earned a M.A. from the University of Houston. His masterful exploration of form and color is a visual testimony to how trauma and memory can alter and transform our geographic perception. For Lofton, art is celebrating the continual process of exploration, expression, and discovery. Lofton’s work has been exhibited at museums, cultural centers, and galleries throughout the United States. 

Reimagining Landscape brings together four distinct approaches to Western landscape art and its meaning. Across painting, collage, and fiber, the works connect land to memory, ancestry, political realities, and lived experiences. The exhibition broadens the idea of what landscape art is beyond the natural world and shows how geography is also shaped by history. 

Opening Reception: Saturday, July 18, 2026, 3 - 6 pm 
Gallery Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 11 am to 6 pm 
Location: 219 East Second Street at Avenue B