Figurative Painter and daughter of late Dora Akunyili,
Njideka Akunyili Crosby is among the 24 winners of the 2017 MacArthur
“Genius” Fellowship....
Typically awarded to around 20 American artists, academics,
writers, and scientists each year, the grant is given to “talented
individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in
their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction,”
according to the foundation.
Each each will receive a $625,000 award from the foundation
"as an investment in their potential," paid out over five years with no
strings attached.
34-year-old Los Angeles-based Akunyili Crosby was praised
by the foundation for her large-scale works that “express the hybridity
characteristics of transnational experience through choices of subject
matter, materials, and techniques.”
Crosby’s solo exhibition at the Tang Museum in upstate New York opens this week (October 14–December 31); the Baltimore Museum will present a suite of new paintings on October 25.
The American, Berlin-based artist Paglen—who has launched a
disc of images into space and investigated top-secret CIA programs—was
lauded for “documenting the hidden operations of covert government
projects and examining the ways that human rights are threatened in an
era of mass surveillance.”
Chicago-based, New York-born Bey, a major figure in the
history of African-American photography, was described as “a
photographer and educator whose portraits of people, many from
marginalized communities, compel viewers to consider the reality of the
subjects’ own social presence and histories.”
Other fellows this year include journalist Nikole
Hannah-Jones, mathematician Emmanuel Candès, opera director Yuval
Sharon, gender bending performer Taylor Mac, and immigration reform
advocate Cristina Jiménez Moreta.
“From transforming conditions for low-wage workers to identifying internet security vulnerabilities, from celebrating the African American string band tradition to designing resilient urban habitats, these new MacArthur Fellows bring their exceptional creativity to diverse people, places, and social challenges. Their work gives us reason for optimism.” Cecilia Conrad, managing director of the MacArthur Fellows Program, said in a statement.
Numerous artists have been awarded MacArthur grants since
the “Genius” program was initiated in 1981, including Bill Viola, David
Hammons, Vija Celmins, Kerry James Marshall , Kara Walker, Mark
Bradford, and Carrie Mae Weems.
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