Introducing Demetri Broxton (he/him), our guest curator for Black History Month, February 2024. Demetri is a mixed media artist of Louisiana Creole and Filipino heritage, who was born and raised in Oakland, CA and studied painting at UC Berkeley. Demetri is influenced by craft and folk traditions and is passionate about infusing these traditions into fine art. He is fascinated by Japanese glass seed beads and cowrie shells, which find their way into every piece of art he makes.

Demetri is most inspired by beadwork from the Yoruba people of Nigeria and the beadwork of the Mardi Gras Black maskers. He combines elements of Nigerian royal regalia with boxing equipment–especially boxing gloves, robes, and head gear–and overlays quotes from hip hop and other forms of African American popular music. His pieces are all hand embroidered with glass beads, cowrie shells, brass totems, and healing herbs grown from his own backyard garden. Tending to plants is another passion of Demetri’s and you can find him in his garden on most weekends.

In addition to being a practicing visual artist, Demetri works as the Senior Director of Education at Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, and he has worked as an independent curator since 2014, curating exhibitions for the City of Berkeley for six years, as well as highlighting Bay Area and international artists at Gearbox Gallery in Oakland and the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. He is especially drawn to artists who have a strong conceptual basis for their artwork. 

For the month of February, guest curated "We The Artists," featuring 3 standout Bay Area Black artists.

Feature Published: February 2, 2024
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