ADAMA Honors Visionaries in Black Art and Culture at 2nd Annual Flowers x Seeds Gala
Atlanta, GA – February 5, 2025 – The African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta (ADAMA) is proud to announce the second annual Flowers x Seeds Awards Gala, a night dedicated to honoring the profound legacy and innovative contributions of Black artists across the diaspora. In a time when the erasure of Black narratives is more aggressive than ever, ADAMA stands as a critical space for carrying forward the art and culture of the African diaspora.
Now in its second year, the Flowers x Seeds Awards Gala continues to advance ADAMA's mission to spotlight the arts and culture of the African Diaspora.
This celebration "gives flowers" to artists of African descent who have made substantial impacts yet remain largely unrecognized by the broader art world. Simultaneously, it "plants seeds" by honoring an earth- career artist whose work showcases promise and expands the understanding of Black art and culture in the 21st century.
This year, we are excited to expand our impact even further, ensuring that the legacies of these artists are celebrated and their contributions are amplified.
MEET OUR HONOREES Curtis Patterson- Flower Honoree
Over the last four and a half decades, Atlanta, Georgia based artist, Curtis Patterson, has been developing and producing thought-provoking art on a variety of scales. Concurrent with much of his early career in art fabrication, he was, also, a professor of sculpture and design at The Atlanta College of Art (now SCAD) for thirty years.
Many of Patterson’s captivating works have been exhibited at sites both nationally and internationally, which include shows in the United States, France, Nigeria, Sweden and Italy. His intrigue with the manipulation of three-dimensional space and objects is clearly evident in his sculptures, which by virtue of their distinctive design, stimulate investigation and promote curiosity.
Hands on by nature, Patterson enjoys producing a range of mid to large scale ‘invitational sculptures’ for public and private venues that encourage viewer participation. He aims to deliver works that respond to and resonate with their surrounding environment. He enjoys his audiences being able to physically access and experience his pieces and frequently embeds subtle surprises within his work as a reward for those who are motivated to engage, explore and discover.
Hasani Sahlehe- Seed Honoree
Artist Hasani Sahlehe makes tactile and brightly-hued abstract paintings that foreground the physicality of the painted surface in order to explore the phenomenological impact of color and shape and the nuances of human perception. His large-scale canvases are immersive, not unlike the ineffable sensation of listening to music – a major conceptual touchstone for his practice as well as a key component of his production process. In the studio, Sahlehe channels the emotive quality of music, synesthetically constructing a painted space from the experience of sound. He also pursues the enigmatic work of giving form to memories and feelings – exploring a composition’s potential for communicating otherwise formless ideas and sensations.
In his recent work, Sahlehe applies color to raw canvas using two distinct methods of application. Thick and pourable acrylic gel sits on top of the painting surface like a glossy coating, while paint added with an airbrush penetrates the canvas for a softer effect. Sahlehe exploits the enticing tension between these textures. “I consider how paint functions in myriad material states,” he has explained. Fascinated by the mutability of paint as a medium, Sahlehe embraces the shifts and changes that happen as it dries.
Previous works have depicted symbols with significance in ancient cosmologies such as suns, waterfalls, and rainbows. More recently, Sahlehe draws inspiration from ancient and Indigenous large scale monumental architecture and sites – using these to create his own versions of sacred sites. Using color, texture, scale, and iconography, Sahlehe sets out to make paintings that offer the potential for producing introspective and spiritual space.
Hasani Sahlehe (b. 1991) was born in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands and lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia. His work has been exhibited in solo exhibitions at Atlanta Contemporary, Atlanta, GA; SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, GA; Adams and Ollman, Portland, OR; MARCH, New York, NY; Tif Sigfrids, Athens, GA; Tops Gallery, Memphis, TN; and Gallery 12.26, Dallas, TX, among others. His work was included in the 2021 Atlanta Biennial at Atlanta Contemporary. He is a recipient of a 2023 Macdowell Fellowship. Sahlehe's work is in the permanent collections of The High Museum of Art and the Georgia Museum of Art. He received his BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2015.
Event Highlights:
A captivating live performance by Giwayen Mata, bringing the rhythm and power of African tradition to the stage.
Curated vibes and diasporic rhythms by DJ Salah Ananse.
Event Details:
Date: Friday, February 21, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Location: Inside the Nia Building at Pittsburgh Yards
Black art doesn’t just reflect history—it creates it. Join us for a night of AfroOpulence in art, music, and culture, and help us sow the seeds of tomorrow’s legacy. Proceeds from this event will support ADAMA’s programming, exhibitions, and long-term vision of creating Atlanta’s premier destination for contemporary African Diaspora art—the first of its kind in the Southeast.