From the Deep: In the Wake of Drexciya with Ayana V. Jackson is Ayana V. Jackson’s first major institutional exhibition, commissioned for the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in 2023. In the lead up to the exhibition’s opening celebrations at MOA, the discussion will centre on this project as a pretext and an anchor to familiarize audiences with Jackson’s unique art practices. Dr. Kimberly Bain and Dr. Nuno Porto will be in conversation, with Dr. Lennon Mhishi moderating.

Ayana V Jackson is the Yosef Wosk Artist in Residence at Green College and will be in residence at Green College in mid- through late-November 2026.

This event is open to the general public and does not require registration but please note that seating is limited.

The event will also be live streamed and can be watched on the Green College website.

The discussion will be followed by a reception in the Piano Lounge, Graham House.

Co-organized by Green College and MOA.

Bios

Ayana V Jackson (b. 1977, East Orange, NJ) is an artist based in Brooklyn and Johannesburg. Her work critiques the colonial gaze and reimagines historical narratives of the Black diaspora. By restaging 19th- and early 20th-century portraiture, often casting herself in historical roles, she challenges photography’s role in shaping racial and gendered identities. Jackson’s work explores the ethical dynamics between photographer, subject, and viewer. It is held in major collections including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Studio Museum in Harlem; and the National Gallery of Victoria. A 2014 NYFA Fellow, 2018 Smithsonian Fellow, and most recently Pollock-Krasner Foundation award recipient, Jackson founded the STILL Art residency in Johannesburg in 2021. 

Dr. Kimberly Bain‘s most pressing and urgent scholarly and critical-creative pursuits have consolidated around the history, theory, and philosophy of the African diaspora, race, gender, environmental and medical racism, the Anthropocene, and Black arts and letters.

She is currently working on two scholarly monographs. The first, entitled On Black Breath, traces a genealogy of breathing and Blackness in the United States. Her second book, Black Alchemy: Dirt, Soil and Other Dark Matter, digs into soil for understanding how Blackness has shaped global considerations of the Anthropocene and refused the extractive relations of racial capitalism.

Dr. Lennon Mhishi is an anthropologist whose interdisciplinary work explores Africa and its diasporas, museums, material culture, the legacies of slavery and colonialism, and contemporary forms of exploitation and human rights. His research and curatorial practice emphasize community-engaged, collaborative, antiracist and inclusive approaches. Before joining UBC, he worked at the University of Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum, where he was part of the international project Reconnecting Objects, exploring colonial collections and the role of African and diasporic communities in rethinking museum collections.

Dr. Nuno Porto received his PhD from the University of Coimbra, Portugal, and holds a joint appointment at MOA, where he is Curator for African and South American collections. Before joining UBC in 2012, he taught social anthropology, material culture, critical museology and African studies at the University of Coimbra. His research and curatorial work explore African and Indigenous identities, material culture and representation, including exhibitions and projects on contemporary Afro-Cuban art, Kenyan popular photography, Amazonian knowledge systems and, most recently, Sankofa: African Routes, Canadian Roots, co-curated with Nya Lewis and Titilope Salami.

Feature image: Ayana V. Jackson, Journey of the Deep Sea Dweller (Video Still 001), 2019, 4-channel projection, video courtesy of the artist, © Ayana V. Jackson

Enjoy free museum admission (starting at 6 pm) for the opening night of From the Deep: In the Wake of Drexciya with Ayana V. Jackson. In her first major institutional exhibition, which travels to MOA from the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, American artist Ayana V. Jackson draws inspiration from the mythic underwater world imagined by Detroit techno duo Drexciya to create a feminist, Pan-African aquatopia inhabited by water spirits from African and Afro-Atlantic traditions.

Through photography, immersive video, animation, and installation, From the Deep unfolds as an enchanting, contemplative environment that transforms the Atlantic Ocean from a site of trauma brought by the slave trade to a realm of speculative fiction. Myth and memory converge to tell stories of ancestry, resilience, and the enduring afterlives of the Middle Passage. In her Afrofuturist world, Jackson offers visitors a space for reflection and repair.

Celebrate the opening of our new feature exhibition with free museum admission and opening remarks from the artist. Plus, enjoy the music of DJ Nea, a Barbadian-born, Vancouver-based DJ.

Free museum admission | 6 pm onwards
Program | 7 – 8 pm

No RSVP required.
Light refreshments will be served (6 pm onwards).

In From the Deep: In the Wake of Drexciya, the first major institutional exhibition to travel to MOA from the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, American artist Ayana V. Jackson draws inspiration from the mythic underwater world imagined by Detroit techno duo Drexciya. Through her work, Jackson creates a feminist, Pan-African aquatopia inhabited by water spirits from African and Afro-Atlantic traditions.

Through photography, immersive video, animation, and installation, From the Deep unfolds as an enchanting, contemplative environment that transforms the Atlantic Ocean from a site of trauma brought by the slave trade to a realm of speculative fiction. Myth and memory converge to tell stories of ancestry, resilience, and the enduring afterlives of the Middle Passage. In her Afrofuturist world, Jackson offers visitors a space for reflection and repair.

Tours last approximately one hour. Capacity of 30 people per tour; first come, first served.

Schedule

11:30 am
1:30 pm

Bio

Ayana V. Jackson (b. 1977, East Orange, NJ) is an artist based in Brooklyn and Johannesburg. Her work critiques the colonial gaze and reimagines historical narratives of the Black diaspora. By restaging 19th- and early 20th-century portraiture, often casting herself in historical roles, she challenges photography’s role in shaping racial and gendered identities. Jackson’s work explores the ethical dynamics between photographer, subject, and viewer. It is held in major collections including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Studio Museum in Harlem; and the National Gallery of Victoria. A 2014 NYFA Fellow, 2018 Smithsonian Fellow, and most recently Pollock-Krasner Foundation award recipient, Jackson founded the STILL Art residency in Johannesburg in 2021.

Image credits: 1) Ayana V. Jackson, Artist Portrait, 2023. Photo by Cali Cuesy. Courtesy of the artist and Mariane Ibrahim. 2) Ayana V. Jackson, Cascading Celestial Giant II, 2019, Archival pigment print on German Etching paper, mounted on Dibond, 75.25 x 60.75 (framed), image courtesy of the artist and Mariane Ibrahim, print courtesy of NMAfA, © Ayana V. Jackson

Tupananchiskama: Ancient Andean Cosmovision explores the enduring worldviews of ancient Andean civilizations through nearly 100 exquisite pre-Columbian ceramic, textile, bone and wood works, some dating back more than 2,500 years.

These works were collected by former UBC Professor Alan R. Sawyer and donated to MOA. This exhibition highlights Andean cosmovision—a holistic and spiritual understanding of the universe grounded in reciprocity, balance, and the recognition of nature as a living being. Far more than artistic objects, the belongings on display embody relationships between humans, ancestors, and sacred forces.

These 45-minute tours with guest curator, Luis Manuel González (Adjunct Professor, Department of Anthropology at UBC) will provide visitors with a special opportunity to see the process and stories behind the exhibition. 

Capacity of 30 people per tour; first come, first served.

Schedule

Thursday, October 15 | 7 pm
Thursday, November 26 | 7 pm
Saturday, December 5 | 1 pm

Bio

Luis Manuel González, guest curator for the exhibition, is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Anthropology at The University of British Columbia and a Research Associate at the University of Toronto’s Archaeology Centre. A licensed professional archaeologist and educator trained at Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Lima, Peru, Luis Manuel has over two decades of research experience throughout the Andes.

Since 2009, he has directed and supervised archaeological projects across Peru. His research focuses on the development of complex civilizations and regional interactions in the Andes, particularly during the Early Intermediate Period and Middle Horizon. His additional research interests include bioarchaeology, mortuary practices, paleopathology, foodways, architecture and archaeoastronomy.

Limited supplies; first come, first served.

About Culture Club at MOA

Join MOA on the last Sunday of each month for Culture Club! Drop in and enjoy engaging art-making activities designed for families. This series offers young visitors artful learning opportunities, allowing families to get creative and connect with MOA’s diverse collections and exhibitions. See the full schedule.

Culture Club at MOA is made possible by the generous support of UBC Campus + Community Planning

This popular sale for MOA Members-only runs Tuesday, November 24 to Sunday, November 29 at the MOA Shop, in-person and online. For one week only, MOA Members receive 20% off their purchase (some exceptions apply). Find holiday gifts for everyone on your list—and even treat yourself!

MOA Shop hours during the Holiday Sale are Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, and until 9pm on Thursday.

MOA Members can also shop the Holiday Sale from the comfort of home, by visiting the MOA Shop Online. Unlock your online member discount by entering your valid MOA Membership number and the promo code sent to you in your members-only newsletter.

Make the most of your MOA Member special 20% discount, which only applies during the MOA Members Holiday Sale!

Not yet a MOA Member? Join today and enjoy this special sale as well as many more benefits of membership.

In From the Deep: In the Wake of Drexciya, the first major institutional exhibition to travel to MOA from the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, American artist Ayana V. Jackson draws inspiration from the mythic underwater world imagined by Detroit techno duo Drexciya. Through her work, Jackson creates a feminist, Pan-African aquatopia inhabited by water spirits from African and Afro-Atlantic traditions.

Through photography, immersive video, animation, and installation, From the Deep unfolds as an enchanting, contemplative environment that transforms the Atlantic Ocean from a site of trauma brought by the slave trade to a realm of speculative fiction. Myth and memory converge to tell stories of ancestry, resilience, and the enduring afterlives of the Middle Passage. In her Afrofuturist world, Jackson offers visitors a space for reflection and repair.

These 45-minute tours with MOA curator Nuno Porto offer visitors an opportunity to deepen their understanding of and engagement with the exhibition.

Schedule

Select Thursdays | 7 pm

Thursday, December 3, 2026
Thursday, January 14, 2027
Thursday, February 25, 2027

Capacity of 30 people per tour; first come, first served.

Image credit: Ayana V. Jackson, Cascading Celestial Giant II, 2019, Archival pigment print on German Etching paper, mounted on Dibond, 75.25 x 60.75 (framed), image courtesy of the artist and Mariane Ibrahim, print courtesy of NMAfA, © Ayana V. Jackson

Looking for fun, enriching experiences for the whole family? Join MOA on the last Sunday of each month for Culture Club! This series offers young visitors artful learning opportunities, allowing families to get creative and connect with MOA’s diverse collections and exhibitions.

Culture Club sessions are free with museum admission.

Schedule

Culture Club at MOA takes place on the last Sunday of the month from 11 am to 2 pm.

Upcoming 

November 29: Whimsical Winter Crafts
January 31
February 28
March 28
April 25
May 30

Past Events

October 25: The Cycles of Autumn

Culture Club at MOA is made possible by the generous support of UBC Campus + Community Planning