Nadie es ilegal en tierra robada

Nadie es ilegal en tierra robada / Nobody is illegal on stolen land 

Exhibition: April 6 – May 21, 2022
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 2, 2pm-4pm
Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm
Location: Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804

In this exhibition, Berkeley-based photographer Diamela Cutiño presents a series of photographs that document the “March for Freedom,” highlighting the power of Northern and Southern Indigenous solidarity movements.   

In November of 2021, a coalition of Indigenous women organized the inaugural “March for Freedom,” a four-day pilgrimage to honor Indigenous children whose lives have been taken by boarding schools, missions, orphanages, police brutality, and crossing the border. The pilgrimage began in Los Angeles and culminated in San Diego, where different Indigenous communities and Nations rallied in front of the Otay Mesa Immigration Detention Center announcing their solidarity with the immigrant community and the Indigenous children currently imprisoned there; they commanded that the indigenous children be set free.  

Cutiño’s vivid portraits capture the heart and the power of those on the front lines commanding an end to the established and continuing colonial practice of separating Indigenous children from their families. This series of photographs offers a glimpse into the intersectional struggles and strong solidarity networks between Indigenous, immigrant, and Black and Brown communities. 

Diamela Cutiño is a photographic storyteller born and raised in Havana, Cuba. Cutiño is most known for her work documenting Black existence. This body of work represents Cutiño’s most recent project documenting Indigenous culture and the emotional and spiritual undertones of freedom movements. 

This exhibition is part of the Art of the African Diaspora: Luminaries Series, and is generously funded by the East Bay Fund for Artists.

Top Image: Diamela Cutiño, Nadie es ilegal en tierra robada 001, 2021

Art of the African Diaspora: Luminaries

Luminaries is a series of four solo exhibitions that shine a spotlight on the remarkable work of four artists who have participated in Art of the African Diaspora but who have maintained an inconspicuous public image throughout their storied artistic careers. The four exhibitions will be presented in the West Gallery throughout 2022, as part of the 25th anniversary of Art of the African Diaspora.