In his book “The Strength of Love,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” Dr. King encouraged his readers not to conform to the way things were, but to rise up and change their future. Atlanta artist and actor Masud Olufani explores this theme through the African Diaspora in his new exhibit “Translocation and Transfiguration.”
The show opened Jan. 10 at the Hammond’s House Museum and will run through March 22.”City Lights” host Lois Reitzes spoke with Olufani about the show and how the title relates to blackness.
In the exhibit, Olufani showcases his response to social injustices by presenting them in various mediums.
“I think human beings are very creative when it comes to responding to trauma. There are choices to be made. The trauma can either completely overwhelm you, and you can basically cease to exist,” he said. “Some people have taken that route by either taking their own lives or checked out in other ways. But what inspires me is when communities are able to find innovative ways of coping and not to deny the trauma or the injustice that’s going on, but to acknowledge that. You either have to live or cease living.”
