Adela Akers: de Young Artist-in-Residence “Traced Memories”
SAN FRANCISCO (August, 2014)—The de Young will host textile artist Adela Akers, from August 6 through August 31, 2014, as part of the museum’s Artist-in-Residence Program. With intricate works that incorporate abstract geometric patterns and interwoven materials, Akers aims to generate an artistic language and foster a dialogue with her audience.
Born in Spain, educated at the University of Havana in Cuba and inspired by her extensive travels, Akers grounds her practice in a diverse and geographically disparate range of influences. Her latest work reflects a recent visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she observed the painting process of the Mbuti women of the Ituri Forest. Akers’ work is also informed by the abstract expressionism movement in the 1950’s, and her passion for weaving grew from a long-standing interest in textiles.
During the painstaking process of interweaving various materials such as metal and horsehair into her compositions, Akers feels she is combining her travels, memories and appreciation for nature into a new language that she hopes can be universally understood. When describing this weaving process, Akers said “the first pieces using the metal were about memorials, so the stitching became like a name or a word.” The artist works to communicate larger themes such as the quiet strength and rhythmic flow of nature, and the power of visual details.
Akers currently lives in Guerneville, California, where she continues to explore creative methods and experiment with different media. During her residency in the Kimball Education Gallery at the de Young, Akers will invite visitors to participate in hands-on activities, observe her artistic process and provide inspiration for her finished works.
Friday, August 29, 6–8:30 p.m. \ Artist Reception
Celebrate the artist’s residency with light refreshments in the Kimball Education Gallery.
The Artist Studio program is made possible with major support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ Museums for America program. Additional support is provided by Hang Art Gallery.
Visiting \ de Young
Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118. Open 9:30 a.m.‒5:15 p.m. Tuesdays–Sundays; open select holidays; closed most Mondays.
Admission Tickets
Admission to the Kimball Education Gallery is free. General admission tickets for the permanent collection range from $6‒$10; free first Tuesday of the month. Please visit deyoungmuseum.org for more information.
About the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, comprising the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, are the largest public arts institution in San Francisco.
The de Young originated from the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition and was established as the Memorial Museum. Thirty years later, it was renamed in honor of Michael H. de Young, a longtime champion of the museum. The present copper-clad, landmark building, designed by Herzog and de Meuron, opened in October 2005. It showcases the institution’s significant collections of American painting, sculpture, and decorative arts from the seventeenth to the twenty-first centuries; art from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas; costume and textile arts; and international contemporary art.
The Legion of Honor was inspired by the French pavilion, a replica of the Palais de la Légion d’Honneur in Paris, at San Francisco’s Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915. The museum opened in 1924 in the Beaux Arts–style building designed by George Applegarth on a bluff overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. Its holdings span four thousand years and include European painting, sculpture, and decorative arts; ancient art from the Mediterranean basin; and the largest collection of works on paper in the American West.
Media Contacts
Clara Hatcher \ chatcher@famsf.org
Arlo Crawford \ acrawford@famsf.org