News & Community

OSAI Alumni Commissioned for Oklahoma Contemporary’s Inaugural Exhibitions

April 22, 2020

On March 12, we were having coffee and catching up with OSAI alums Gabriel Friedman (Photography ’99) and Yatika Fields (Sculpture ’98, Drawing & Painting ’99, Photography ’00) and OKC artist Denise Duong. The artists had just wrapped up major projects commissioned for Oklahoma Contemporary’s grand opening of a new art campus at NW 11th and Broadway in Oklahoma City. They were getting ready to attend what was to be a weekend full of exhibitions and events celebrating the historic opening.

The slate of events was postponed due to growing concerns over the novel coronavirus, but you can still see their projects from a safe social distance in person and on Oklahoma Contemporary’s website!

 

Eternal Sun, Yatika Fields’s massive, gestural oil painting commissioned for Oklahoma Contemporary’s inaugural exhibit Bright Golden Haze, invokes the colors and memories of landscapes the artist encounters while practicing his other primary interest—ultrarunning.

Watch an interview with Fields about his work here

 

Friedman’s collaborative project with Duong and Scissortail Park, The Unexpected Us, is an installation exploring the magic of transformation, featuring a massive woven willow stick “hut” in the shape of a bird, with a golden pulsating light suspended within a willow orb at the center. Commissioned for Bright Golden Haze: Reflections, The Unexpected Us is nestled on the north side of Scissortail Lake, near the center of the park.

Read more about Friedman and Duong’s collaboration here