A vibrant painting of a Black woman with voluminous, dark hair resting peacefully in a dense field of green foliage. Her face is obscured by a bouquet of bright pink and red flowers. She wears a sheer, white polka-dotted dress, and an open copy of Octavia E. Butler’s "Parable of the Sower" lies in the grass beside her.
A large-scale painting where powerful, muscular horses are rendered in explosive, poured acrylic paint. Deep blues, bright yellows, and fiery oranges bleed together, creating a sense of chaotic, unbridled movement. The paint partially obscures a background of historical documents and maps printed on the canvas.
A complex multimedia work on a background of an antique Dutch map. A central figure is doubled over; their body is a translucent, rainbow-colored mass that resembles both blown glass and internal organs. The "head" of the figure is an explosion of detailed botanical illustrations—tulips, irises, and grapes—intertwined with glass vessels.
Visited the Firelei Báez exhibition at @mcachicago.bsky.social.
The layers feel like she’s physically painting a new future over the past. The scale and the textures create a narrative so beautifully surreal and deep.
Highly recommend.
#FireleiBaez #MCAChicago #ArtHistory #BlackArt #Chicago
