September 11 – November 22, 2025
On-View: September 11 – November 22, 2025
Opening Reception: September 11, 2025, 6-9 PM
Inspired by a resonant line from Toni Morrison’s seminal novel Beloved, People Who Die Bad Don’t Stay in the Ground, delves deeply into visual artist Shikeith’s ongoing investigation of the hauntological encounters and lived realities of Black men and boys. Through a rich and varied multidisciplinary practice encompassing photography, video, and installation, the exhibition chronicles the enduring legacy of historical traumas and their persistent reverberations across successive generations, actively resisting attempts at erasure and historical amnesia. Shikeith’s otherworldly aesthetic intricately situates the experiences of Black men and boys within a disquieting temporal collapse, where the weight of the past does not merely inform the present, but relentlessly intrudes upon it, perpetually reshaping contemporary existence. This exhibition offers a space to contemplate the intergenerational impact of injustice within the backdrop of a fraught history that remains unreconciled and continues to impact the lives of those whose narratives have often been silenced, yet continue to call out to us from beyond.
Artist Bio
With a complex multidisciplinary practice, Shikeith (b. 1989; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) interrogates the sociopolitical structures and histories that oppress the psychological landscapes of marginalized communities. Influenced by his interest in hauntology and spiritual traditions from the African diaspora, Shikeith’s artwork both mines and speculates on methodologies of disentangling and reconciliation. His photographs employ magical realist aesthetics, creating elusive compositions, challenging gender norms, and asking viewers to engage with the invisible forces that shape their perception of the subjects depicted and themselves. Shikeith earned a BA in Integrative Arts from the Pennsylvania State University and a MFA from the Yale School of Art in New Haven, Connecticut. He currently resides and works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
This exhibition is partially supported by The Andy Warhol Foundation.
