Kabuya Pamela Bowens-Saffo: From the Heights

From the Heights marks South Florida native Kabuya Pamela Bowens-Saffo’s first solo art exhibition in Miami. Featuring works from as early as 1977 to present day, this exhibition celebrates the artist’s practice as a printmaker and honors her legacy as an active member of the South Florida art community.

While based in Miami, Florida, Bowens-Saffo was engaged with the Miami Black Arts Workshop (MBAW) and an influential educator at the Barnyard Community Center in the historical Coconut Grove neighborhood. Impactful experiences in Richmond Heights and Coconut Grove nurtured her consciousness and propelled her decades-long commitment to art for and about people. Specializing in printmaking and mixed media constructions, Bowens-Saffo's art delves into social and political human relations, emphasizing the African American experience.

Born in Richmond Heights, Florida and currently living and working in Tallahassee, Bowens-Saffo received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Howard University and her MFA from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University. She is the recipient of awards from both the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts.

From the Heights contemplates the role played by art collectives, explores the importance of archiving an artist’s oeuvre, and enlightens issues of race, gender, and class as it relates to history writing.

This exhibition was developed in collaboration with the Women Artists Archive Miami (WAAM).

MOAD's programs are made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. They are sponsored in part by the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts, and with generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The Miami Herald is a media sponsor of MOAD's programming.

Kabuya Pamela Bowens-Saffo, At Home Under a Perfect Pyramid,1979-80, print 3/5. Courtesy of the artist. Image credit: Inga Finch.