Kandy G. Lopez | Textile Truths: Faces of Resilience
ACA Galleries
173 10th Ave, New York, NY
https://acagalleries.com/exhibitions
November 1, 2025 - January 17, 2026
Ecstatically, I sauntered around New York’s most prominent and established art galleries ACA (American Contemporary Art) for Textile Truths: Faces of Resilience by Kandy G. Lopez. The Afro-Caribbean American artist celebrated her second solo exhibition with textiles and communities of color. Deeply moved by her last remarkable exhibition in 2024, We the People, Lopez captivated me again with portraits of distinctive personalities and striking postures.
She derived inspiration from meeting people online, art fair events, family members, friends, and fashionable people with “swag”. Lopez started the creative process by photographing selected subjects from the ground up; positioning each one in a position of power. Posing in diverse postures, each subject looked down on her as Lopez captured every angle of their presence. Final images were sketched on transparent hook mesh rugs, a perfect durable medium to secure yarns and sustain large fiber portraits. Exploring contrast mediums of yarns, threads, and repurposed clothing, Lopez hand embroidered the portraits. Each yarn connected and fabricated resonated stories of her subjects, who are often overlooked.
Entering the warm atmosphere connected me to the vulnerability, valor, robustness, and perseverance of each portrait. Approaching Arsimmer McCoy’s portrait was captivating as I observed the hand embroidered portrait on a sprayed painted hook mesh. Mounted on a screen print Richloom cotton canvas fabric from Crochet in color Punch, I was introduced to an international poet, a writer, a cultural worker, and a “griot”. Lopez encapsulated McCoy in a relaxed position, inviting me to listen and learn a few words of wisdom.
Family is a pillar of strength and foundation for Lopez’s artwork. She paid tribute to her husband in Brandon 3.0 with a painted cityscape on the hook mesh ground. Embodying his effortless, fashionable composure, Lopez selected tonal yarns to match his exact skin tone, facial features, beard texture, tattoo, Nike sneakers, New York Yankees cap, watch, cameo shorts, and white socks. Even down to her in-laws in Miami, Lopez hand embroidered their resilience, steadfast love, and marital bliss. Next to Miami, I was connected to the cultural impact of Haïti and the Dominican Republic in Hispaniola V - Luz and Sydney. In white karabella dresses with red and blue stripes, both models represented the complexities of both counties. It was a bit challenging yet a necessary series of portraits for Lopez to address colorism, classism, and elitism. The portrait invited me to question the identities of the models: Haitian, Dominican, or both?
Captivated by the next large portrait of seven astounding women posed fiercely connected me to true sisterhood in City Girls. Lopez hand embroidered every detail of a floral artist, a fashion model, designers, stylists, a painter, and a muralist. Each yarn radiated women empowerment. Parallel to City Girls, City Boys celebrated brotherhood. Seven valorous men embroidered in style; epitomizing endurance and community.
Lopez left a lasting touch of individualized fiber portraits of each model in City Girls and City Boys. Handmade with epoxy resin frames, the yellow flowers and cowrie shells added a personal touch. The layers of yarn resembled identity, memory, and community. The portraits commanded space, attention and purpose. It appeared as if I was looking into a portrait of a relative, a friend, a neighbor, or a significant other. Indefinitely, the materials connected me to everyone - up close and personal.
Faith Ringgold
Jack Shainman Gallery
46 Lafayette Street, New York
https://jackshainman.com/exhibitions/faith_ringgold
November 14, 2025 – January 24, 2026
What an honorable exhibition for Faith Ringgold’s artistry at Jack Shainman Gallery. She was an innovative author, painter, mixed media sculptor, performance artist, and activist. The textiles vibrantly captivated the zeitgeists of each era. I was transported to the 1960s and 70s feminist and civil rights movement with the Feminist Series from 1972. The Tibetan thangkas styles of the gold hand-painted quotations of series #16 Sojourner Truth and #19 Amy Jacques Garvey connected me to women’s freedom. Acrylic painted forest scenes on canvases, bordered with fabric, wooden dowel, cord, and tassels reflected the spiritual and human experiences of that time. Sauntering around the gallery, I came across the Window of the Wedding series from 1974. The quilted fabrics invited me to peek into the vivid geometric patterns that represented the blessings and challenges of couples. The abstract compositions of the hanging prayer rugs radiated joy and protection for marriages. Each rug represented couples with no children, marital life and roles of a man, a woman, mothers and fathers. Ringgold's techniques were inspired by Central African Kuba textiles and a collaborative effort with her mother.
Ringgold’s textiles illustrated the joys and sorrows of African Americans. The black soft sculptures series, Atlanta Children, artistically responded to the unresolved crimes of 28 black children murdered in Atlanta between 1979 and 1981. Sculptured with foam, yarn, and fabric; each figure positioned on a chessboard, labeled with the victim’s name expressed resistance, grief, and recurring violence. Ringgold transported me to healing, hope, and better days ahead in Coming to Jones Road Part 2 Tanka #1 and #2. The red, green, brown, and pink thangkas were hand-painted with Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth and Martin Luther King’s Jr. speeches. The prominent leaders were celebrated and memorialized for their courageous efforts and turbulent journeys to freedom. Ringgold's passed on the thankgas as batons for us to continue the race to freedom and conquer obstacles with joy and vitality.
My spirit was lifted with the picturesque quilted fabrics of the Jazz Stories Mama Can Sing, Papa Can Blow #1 and #2. Vibrantly, the quilts transported me to the rhythm and blues of the Harlem Renaissance. The vibrant colors of the band playing with a lead singer reverberated Ringgold’s memories of her Harlem home filled with harmonious melodies of jazz music.
