Keisha Scoville: Where salt meets black water

About the Exhibition

This exhibition is a site-specific installation by Keisha Scarville at the Brooklyn Museum. Titled 'Where Salt Meets Black Water,' it symbolizes the boundary between the United States and Guyana, using that boundary to invite healing and reflection. Scarville layers portraits and still lifes over abstract patterns, built from clothing that belonged to her mother, Alma. The works draw on her series 'Mama's Clothes' and are rich in detail, conveying meaning whether viewed up close or from afar. The exhibition comprises more than 50 photographic works, centered on the concept of 'black water,' symbolizing the dark waters of Guyana. Scarville's work 'Within/Between/Corpus (1)' (2020) in particular is installed simultaneously on the Brooklyn Museum's plaza and on the exterior of its parking facility. Visitors can explore family, memory, and cultural identity through this exhibition, and experience a sense of communal healing.