Isha Shabaka (Jamaican, b. 1958) • Series: Letting Go • Works: 107 • Medium: Acrylic on canvas/paper
Born in St. Mary, Jamaica WI. Migrated to America in the 1980's and lived in the borough of Brooklyn New York. Shabaka attended Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, formerly Jamaica School of Art and Crafts, then received his BFA from Pratt Institute in 1984. In 1999, Shabaka produced Units of the Free, a commissioned work for the MTA, and installed at the Park Place subway station in Brooklyn. Shabaka currently lives and maintain his studio in Ghana, West Africa.
Untitled
Acrylic on canvas, 2006
56 x 46 in. (142.24 x 116.84 cm)
Untitled
Acrylic on canvas, 2006
50 x 55 in. (127 x 139.7 cm)
Untitled
Acrylic on canvas, 2003
45.5 x 31.5 in. (115.57 x 80.01 cm)
Untitled
Acrylic on canvas, 2006
55 x 43 in. (139.7 x 109.22 cm)
Untitled
Acrylic on canvas, 2003
45 x 31.5 in. (114.3 x 80 cm)
Untitled
Acrylic on canvas, 2006
55 x 44.5 in. (139.7 x 113.03 cm)
Untitled
Acrylic on canvas, 2006
66 x 38 in. (167.64 x 96.52 cm)
Untitled
Acrylic on canvas, 2006
55 x 24 in. (139.7 x 60.69 cm)
Untitled
Acrylic on canvas, 2004
66 x 35.5 in. (167.64 x 90.424 cm)
Park Place
ISHA SHABAKA
Units of the Free, 1999
Wrought iron railings throughout station
Railings are a functional requirement in the transit environment, but under Isha Shabaka's guiding hand, they are also powerfully expressive. Shabaka designed the railings to highlight the role of the station as an important neighborhood place. The thin and elegant diagonals of the rail create a see-through effect that helps open up the subway to the community. A large-scale image of an African mask is boldly designed in open metalwork. Its nose is a starkly geometric triangle, that symbolizes power and movement in some traditional cultures. Other shapes in the mask are the changeable curving lines, that allow the form to appear to be variously awake or asleep, vigilant or distracted, "commuters," Shakaba says. "Sometimes
they may be aware and thinking when waiting for the train, or just relaxing for a moment. I'm showing both states."
