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Collage of five diverse artworks from the Hammer Museum Collections side by side. From left to right: 1) Contemporary painting of two embracing figures with surreal elements. 2) Post-impressionist style painting of trees with vibrant blues and greens. 3) Black and white illustration of a face with intricate patterns. 4) Japanese woodblock print style image of a figure in a checkered robe. 5) Photograph of a couple dancing, the woman in a black dress and the man in white

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Photo of a sculpture of a form with a human face, and behind it an exploded view of a human figure suspended from the ceiling, in an orange-hued room

Hammer Projects: Kiyan Williams

  • – This is a past exhibition

Between Starshine and Clay (2022) marks the first solo museum exhibition for artist Kiyan Williams (b. 1991, Newark, New Jersey) and is an installation that takes its name from an phrase in writer and educator Lucille Clifton’s 1993 poem "won’t you celebrate with me." Williams, who collects earth from familial sites and spaces that hold Black American histories, creates sculptural forms that slowly reveal traces and gestures of the body. Using dirt, sandstone, and other materials such as kanekalon hair, bricks, and wax to mold faces, limbs, and hands, Williams meditates on the notion of the “ruined” body and its potential to transcend and generate new genealogies.

Download the Hammer's free digital guide to listen to watch a profile of Kiyan Williams.

Hammer Projects: Kiyan Williams is organized by Erin Christovale, associate curator.

Hammer Projects are single-gallery exhibitions highlighting the work of contemporary artists from around the globe, often presenting new work at a pivotal moment of an artist’s development. Ongoing since 1999, Hammer Projects is a signature series within the Hammer’s exhibition program.
Hammer Projects is presented in memory of Tom Slaughter and with support from the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation. Lead funding is provided by the Hammer Collective. Generous support is also provided by Susan Bay Nimoy and Leonard Nimoy, with additional support from the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.
Hammer Projects: Kiyan Williams is made possible, in part, by the Pasadena Art Alliance.

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