Hunter Saxony III: “You Have My Heart … It’s OK to Rest Here”
The first solo exhibition by the local artist who styles himself “San Francisco’s last Black calligrapher” brings new meaning to the term “illuminated manuscript.” Saxony III’s calligraphic works are often decorative to the point of abstraction, tessellating meditations on love, loss and homesickness. One series features Sankofa (Hearts) and Mpuannum (Squares), signifiers of the complexity of love and commitment, another features work made in collaboration with Saxony III’s partner, the tattoo artist Megan Wilson. The series “Nia Wilson / Say Her Name / No Silence,” blends ornamental lettering with found antique photographs of Southern gentry in response to the 2018 murder of Bay Area resident Nia Wilson, and raising questions about anti-Blackness throughout American history through a simple gesture of mourning. All four series included in “You Have My Heart … It’s OK to Rest Here,” on view at Eleanor Harwood Gallery, exhibit the artist's breadth and technical mastery, while expanding notions of what the calligraphic form is capable of.
Eleanor Harwood Gallery, 1275 Minnesota St., S.F. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Free. Through April 15. eleanorharwood.com
