Demetri Broxton is a mixed media artist of Louisiana Creole and Filipino heritage, born and raised in Oakland, CA. His textile sculptures reflect his connection to the sacred art of the Yoruba people of Nigeria, the beading traditions of the New Orleans Mardi Gras Indians, and his love of hip-hop and graffiti. Broxton holds a BFA in Oil Painting from UC Berkeley and an MA in Museum Studies from SFSU.

“Influenced by Oakland in particular, and the rest of the Bay Area has been a major influence on my work. The diversity of people, ideas, and landscapes has always encouraged me to think beyond my own experiences and explore the wider world. My art practice seeks to reach back to traditional ritual art forms from West Africa and the Philippines and bring those forms to the present.”

Demetri is known for sculptures made of glass beads and cowrie shells covering boxing gloves, flags, and boxing robes. The work encapsulates contemporary hip-hop with the slave trade and the monetary cost of human lives. Cowrie shells and glass beads, now associated with African pride and ancestry, played a role as a store of blood money during the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

“My creative process begins with lines from hip hop that get verses stuck in my head. I begin to decode the deeper meanings which form the basis for my work. For example, I have a piece called ‘Worth the Weight’ inspired by the opening track to Jedenna's album ‘85 to Africa’''.

Demetri’s notable milestone last year was “Save Me, Joe Louis”, added to the permanent collection of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Inspiring to see a Bay Area native’s work be held in the public collection in one of San Francisco’s revered museums.

Look out for his new body of work at a solo exhibition at Patricia Sweetow Gallery in May. “I've been working in a different direction that I can't wait to reveal to everyone. It's all a secret until then!”

Feature Published: February 24, 2023
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