OVERVIEW

Firelei Báez(°1980, Santiago de los Caballeros)was born in Santiago de los Caballeros and lives and works in New York. She makes intricate works on paper and canvas that are intrinsically indebted to a rigorous studio practice as well as large scale sculpture. Through a convergence of interest in anthropology, science fiction, black female subjectivity and women’s work; her art explores the humor and fantasy involved in self-making within diasporic societies, which have an ability to live with cultural ambiguities and use them to build psychological and even metaphysical defenses against cultural invasions.
Báez received an M.F.A. from Hunter College and a B.F.A. from The Cooper Union’s School of Art and studied at The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.

HISTORY

2018
Contemporary Art Center, ‘Firelei Báez’, Ohio, USA

2017
The Andy Warhol Museum, ‘Firelei Báez: Bloodlines’, Pennsylvania, USA
DePaul Art Museum, ‘Vessel of Genealogies’, Illinois, USA

2016
Tarble Arts Center, ‘Vessel of Genealogies’, Eastern Illinois University, Illinois, USA
Taller Puertorriqueno, ‘Unpacking Hispanola, with Scherezade Garcia (two person show)’, Pennsylvania, USA
Gallery Wendi Norris, ‘Trust Memory Over History’, California, USA

2015
Perez Art Museum of Miami, ‘Firelei Báez: Bloodlines curated by María Elena Ortiz’, Florida, USA
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, ‘Firelei Báez: Patterns of Resistance’, Utah, USA

2013
Richard Heller Gallery, ‘Appendix to a Memory Table’, California, USA

2012
Richard Heller Gallery, ‘Not Even Unalterable Limitations’, California, USA
Sheppard Fine Arts Gallery at the University of Nevada, ‘Psycho*Pomp’, Nevada, USA

2017
The Bronx Museum of the Arts, ‘Love Thy Neighbor, Firelei Báez, Ignacio González-Lang, Irvin Morazan’, New York, USA
PinchukArtCenter, ‘Future Generations Art Prize’, Kiev Ukraine; traveling to Viva Arte Viva, Palazzo Contarini Polignac, Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
Museum of Latin American Art, ‘Relational Undercurrents: Contemporary Art of the Caribbean Archipelago, in conjunction with Pacific Standard Time:LA>LA’ , California, USA

2016
Pi Artworks, ‘American Histories’, London, United Kingdom
Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, ‘Africa Forecast: Fashioning Contemporary Life’, Georgia, USA
Jack Shainman Gallery, ‘For Freedoms’, New York, USA
32 Edgewood Gallery, ‘Black Pulp!’, Yale University School of Art, Connecticut, USA
Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art, ‘Pure Pulp: Contemporary Artists Working in Paper at Dieu Donné’, Hamilton College, New York, USA
Kings Theater, Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, ‘Diaspora Calling’, New York, USA

2015
The 8th floor, ‘Between History and the Body’, New York, USA
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery, Columbia University, ‘A Curious Blindness’, New York, USA
The Studio Museum in Harlem, ‘Concealed: Selections from The Permanent Collection’, New York, USA

2014
New Orleans Biennial, Curated by Franklyn Sirmans, ‘Prospect 3 U.S. Biennial, Notes for Now’,Los Angeles, USA
The Drawing Center, ‘Small, drawing exhibition curated by Claire Gilman’, New York, USA
Pérez Art Museum Miami, ‘Caribbean: Crossroads of the World, curated by Elvis Fuentes’, Florida, USA
Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries, ‘I Scarcely have the right to use this ghostly verb’, New School, New York, USA
Hudson D. Walker Gallery, ‘Firelei Báez: Fine Arts Work Center Solo Exhibition’, Massachusetts, USA
FAWC Visual Art Fellows, Perez Art Museum Miami, ‘Context and Counteractions: Selected Works by the 2013-2014’, Miami, USA

2013
Thomas Lax and Lauren Hayes, ‘Fore, Studio Museum’s upcoming fourth emerging artist exhibition, curated by Naima Keith’, New York, USA
McClain Gallery, ‘More Than A Likeness’, Texas, USA
Bronx Museum, ‘The Bronx Museum AIM Biennial’, New York, USA
Mixed Greens, ‘Crossing the Line: Contemporary Drawing and Artistic Process’, New York, USA
Elizabeth Foundation, ‘Emo Show’, New York, USA
Wave Hill, ‘Drawn to Nature, curated by Jennifer McGrego’, New York, USA
Community Folk Art Center, ‘Corporeal Contours: Works by Firelei Baez and Andrea Chung, curated by Jillian Narkornthap’, New York, USA

2012
The IMC Lab + Gallery, ‘Harbingers & Psychopomps’, New York, USA
Morgan Lehman Gallery, ‘Contemporary Watercolor, curated by Veronica Roberts’, New York, USA
Honor Fraser Gallery, ‘ACIREMA, Curated by Cesar Garcia’, Los Angeles, USA
White Box, ‘Body Snatchers, Curated by Raul Zamudio’, New York, USA
EFA Project Space, ‘Cultural Transference, Curated by Sara Reissman’, New York, USA
Casita Maria Center, ‘Restrictions, Limitations, Confinements’, New York, USA

2011
The New Museum, ‘Museum As a Hub: Alpha’s Bet is Not Over Yet’, New York, USA
El Museo, ‘The S/ Files, El Museo’s 6th Biennial Curated by Rocío Aranda-Alvarado, Trinidad Fombella and Elvis Fuentes’, New York, USA
The United Nations, ‘The African Continuum’, New York, USA
Graduate Center CUNY, ‘Afro-Latin@s Now! Strategies for Visibility and Action’, New York, USA
Middlesex Art Gallery, ‘Disillusions: Gendered Visions of the Caribbean and its Diasporas, Curated by Tatiana Flores’, New Jersey, USA
IMC Lab + Gallery, ‘Elastic Identity’, New York, USA
Nina Chanel Abney Studio, ‘Paperwork, curated by Nina Chanel Abney’, New York, USA
Recess Space, ‘Edouard Glissant: Inhabit his Name, Be Black Baby’, New York, USA

2010
New Jersey City Museum, ‘Hair Tactics Curated by Rocio Aranda-Alvarado’, New Jersey, USA
Times Square Gallery, Hunter College, ‘This elusive mirror image of matter’, New York, USA
Guggenheim Museum, ‘Thinking Performance at the Guggenheim, Performed in Joan Jonas’- Mirror Piece I: Reconfigured’, New York, USA
Irvine Contemporary, ‘Introductions6’, Washington, D.C., USA
Macy’s, ‘Around the Way, curated by El Museo del Barrio’, New York, USA
East Hampton, ‘Lush, Art Solar’, New York, USA
Kresge Gallery, ‘Boundless Discourse’, Ramapo College, New Jersey, USA
Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, ‘Wearing Spirit’, New York, USA
Vaudeville Park, ‘Dance Ghost’, New York, USA

NEWS

FIXED CONTAINED Curated by Tomokazu Matsuyama

KOTARO NUKAGA is pleased to present Fixed Contained, a group exhibition of seven international contemporary artists: Brian Alfred, Firelei Báez, Inka Essenhigh, Nir Hod, Tony Matelli, Tomokazu Matsuyama, and Carlos Rolón. This exhibition is guest curated by Matsuyama, and will be on view from April 20, 2019 through June 29, 2019. Each of the artists