USF’s Centre Gallery showcases Black History Month exhibit

Kyria Messam used the colors of the rainbow to paint two portraits of African American women that will be displayed at USF’s Centre Gallery. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/ KYRIA MESSAM

To commemorate Black History Month in February, USF’s Centre Gallery is hosting an exhibition featuring works by Black student artists. 

The students being showcased are Kyria Messam, Thalia Lafaille, Kai Hackett, John Garcia Tulloch, Shamari Buckley and Sydni Smith.

Artist Thalia Lafaille, a junior graphic arts major, said she believes her art recognizes every individual. 

“Our university is a predominantly white institute,” she said. “It’s so easy to feel like you are invisible, like you are not seen, but you are seen. You’re beautiful.”

Related: Photos: USF BSU Black History Month Exhibition launches at Centre Gallery – The Oracle

The Campus Activities Board (CAB) is collaborating with student artists to bring the exhibit to life in collaboration with the Black Student Union and the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

The exhibition is a tradition and last year’s exhibit showcased 13 artists, bringing nearly 400 visitors, said Kaylee Ayres, the student programs coordinator for the Center of Student Involvement. 

Kyria Messam, a sophomore studio arts major with a focus on animation, is showcasing two multicolored oil canvas paintings, which are called the “Colors of Beauty.”

Messam has been an artist since she was around 6 years old. She said when she was a child, she used to watch drawing channels and follow along. 

She said she has always enjoyed “multicolored things,” and she felt it would be “therapeutic” to create portraits by using the colors on the rainbow.

“The colors give a universal sense to the portraits because it could be any color on any person,” Messam said. “It shows there’s beauty in everybody, no matter what skin tone or race, whatever you are.” 

Messam painted every color of the rainbow on two portraits of African American women, she said. 

Lafaille will showcase three pieces of work at the exhibition.

She said she feels one of the portraits she is displaying is important because it was created to make Black women feel “seen.”

In her portrait, Lafaille painted a Black woman with an Afro. The eyes of the woman, however, are not included in the portrait.

“I created an abstract painting with not much detail, it’s a portrait of a Black woman,” Lafaille said. “I felt like Black women everywhere could see themselves in it, I did not define the eyes.”

 

Thalia Lafaille’s abstract self-portrait was made “for all Black women to see themselves in.” SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/THALIA LAFAILLE

Lafaille, originally from Palm Beach and fluent in Creole, was born to Haitian immigrants in 2004. She said she is immersed in the culture and takes inspiration from her experience.

For Lafaille, studying abroad in Paris and viewing art over the summer was a “transformative” experience. She said she believes her work reflects that.

“The portrait is maybe what I think I am as a Black woman,” she said. “I hope that Black people, and Black women specifically, see themselves in my portrait. I hope they know how beautiful they are. I hope they know they are seen.”

Related: How USF is celebrating Black Heritage Month – The Oracle

Black History Month has been celebrated since 1976, but was officially made a federal holiday in 1986. The month celebrates those who have made an impact in the world with their achievements and activism.

An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Monday from 5-7 p.m., where attendees can meet the artists and learn more about their work. 

The exhibit will run until Feb. 13 and is located on the second floor of the Marshall Student Center. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Messam said her piece is representative of her mind, and she believes everyone should be celebrated in the artistic world.

She said her artwork aimed to portray black women in a different way than they are usually shown, which is usually in the context of social issues. She created these pieces to have them appreciated as “beauty.”