« All News & Events

Obscurity: Life Inside the Smoke

Aug 21, 2023 | Events, Exhibits

Sept. 1, 2023 – Dec. 30, 2023 | Wed-Sun 11am-4pm | Included with Museum Admission

On September 1, World Forestry Center premiersObscurity: Life Inside the Smoke, an art exhibition exploring wildfire smoke through new works by six Portland-area artists.

This show examines what we know, and think we know, about wildfire smoke and how [that smoke] makes us feel about the world and each other.
Roger Peet, Guest Co-Curator

As wildfires worsen, smoke permeates our lives and livelihoods, reminding us that we must find a new way to live with the forests that surround us. Through a dynamic mix of sculpture, printmaking, painting, and installation, these six artists reveal their unique perspectives and individual relationships with our new, smoke-filled reality.

“This show examines what we know, and think we know, about wildfire smoke,” said guest co-curator Roger Peet, “and how [that smoke] makes us feel about the world and each other.”

“We want to imagine how our relationship with smoke and fire might look in the future,” adds Erica Meryl Thomas, guest co-curator, “and how we can respond collectively to the presence of smoke in our lives and the fires that put it there.”

We want to imagine how our relationship with smoke and fire might look in the future
Erica Meryl Thomas, Guest Co-Curator

“Art has an extraordinary power to evoke emotions and promote dialogue,” said Tim Hecox, World Forestry Center Experience Director. “Obscurity will engage visitors who might not otherwise take an interest in wildfire smoke. We hope this exhibition brings about meaningful discussion and inspires action on behalf of our forests and our communities.”

Meet the Artists

Amirah Chatman is a black, queer, interdisciplinary artist focused on fabricating abstractions of natural elements and weather phenomena. These works manifest as chalk pastel drawings, oil paintings, fiber sculptures, murals, and light installations. Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Chatman’s inspiration often stems from the imagery that they were raised on: dazzling sunsets, powerful monsoons, and an abundance of stars.

Santigie & Sapata Fofana-Dura are brothers, art partners, and collaborators. Santigie holds an MFA in Collaborative Design (2013) from the Pacific Northwest College of Art. Sapata has over 13 years of commercial and residential construction experience. The duo designs and builds architectural sculptures hinging around the concept of the “Shrine.” They create their works using abandoned lumber and other discarded materials salvaged from around the Pacific Northwest.
Roger Peet is an artist, printmaker, muralist, and writer. His work focuses on civilized bad ideas, predator-prey relationships, and the contemporary crises of biodiversity and capitalism and what can and can’t be done about them. He is a founding member of the Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative, a group of North American artists producing print art and graphic tools for social and environmental movements.
Erica Meryl Thomas is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and labor organizer. Her work explores the ways we relate our personal stories to social, political, and natural histories. She uses the art-making process as an opportunity to illuminate and celebrate both visible and invisible labor. In 2014, she received an MFA in Contemporary Art and Social Practice from Portland State University, where she now teaches interdisciplinary courses blending art, design, and social theory.
Alex Wiseman FKA Gary grew up in the forests, high deserts, and intertidal zones of the Pacific Northwest. Their work explores themes of integration, balance, patterns, and conditions of suffering that help or hinder our ability to connect with ourselves, other humans, our animal siblings, plant relatives, and the biosphere. In 2015, Alex began exploring wildfire ecology and the creative possibilities of charcoal collected from wildfire sites.