From street art to high culture, the Dallas Observer’s arts coverage spotlights the creatives, performers, innovators and institutions that make up the cultural fabric of the city.
“I’m passionate about themed experiences that transcend a typical painting on a wall,” Mask says.
Though he s always had big dreams of creating large installations, Mask wanted something he could do immediately. He started out small, working in his apartment and experimenting with recycled materials.
“What can I do right now, with the materials that I have?” Mask asked himself.
From that experimentation, modest.museum was born. Mask created sculptures, which he installed throughout the city. His goal was to create pieces that people in the neighborhood could appreciate and stop to photograph. In the beginning, he was setting up and taking down sculptures around Uptown, some of which were removed by property owners.
Through March 27 131 Payne St.
Over the last several years, the Nigerian-born Onifadé has gradually carved out a niche as one of Dallas’ most revered and original artists. His solo show
Surreal Figures, which is on display through March 27, marks the first time the gallery SITE131 has devoted its entire space to a single artist. Onifadé s orb-like figures are representations of Black emotion and experience, with each painting telling a powerful story about his time in war-torn Africa. For this show, the preternaturally cheerful artist is showing a series of paintings (many of which are new creations) that balance Black joy with pain, sorrow and triumph. He’s cataloging his community’s history, one painting at a time.