BETTI ONO PRESENTS 'SIGNIFY' A SOLO EXHIBITION BY KIERRA JOHNSON MAY 4- JULY 21, 2018

BETTI ONO PRESENTS 'SIGNIFY' A SOLO EXHIBITION BY KIERRA JOHNSON MAY 4- JULY 21, 2018           SIGNIFY, a deeply personal and reflective series of portraits by photographer Kierra Johnson, is the latest exhibit opening at Oakland’s Betti Ono Gallery (1427 Broadway, Oakland). Inspired by cinematic works such as Eve’s Bayou and Soul Food and the lived experience of working class Black people, the portraits in SIGNIFY take visitors on a journey through the American South to California while exploring the body’s ability to hold on to culture. “When Betti Ono presented me with the opportunity to present my first solo exhibition, it felt affirming,” says Johnson whose work was featured in Black Women Over Breathing show curated by Adrian O. Walker and Danielle McCoy. “To have the support of and be in complete alignment with a gallery so early in my career is a dream come true.”“Kierra is a gifted storyteller and has given us a beautifully nuanced visual narrative, with depth, language and technique that honors the subjects and setting,” says Betti Ono founder, Anyka Barber. “She represents so much of  the Betti Ono DNA. Her work is unapologetic.” SIGNIFY opens to the public on Friday May 4th with an opening reception during Oakland Art Murmur with from 6-9pm.  \\\About: Betti Ono is an experimentally minded space for art + culture + community headquartered in Oakland, California. We are 100% Black women led and operated, dedicated to amplifying the work and voices of under-represented artists. Our vision and creative practice embodies the bold, curious and unapologetic spirit of our namesakes Betti Mabry Davis and Yoko Ono. We value art making as a form and function of activism, self-determination, community transformation and cultural resilience. We celebrate the culture of everyday people and focus our core work on participation, accessibility and inclusivity.