September 10th - October 1st, 2016**
Opening reception: September 10th, 2016 || 7-10pm**
Artist talk: September 29th, 2016 || 6-8pm**
Gallery hours: Saturday 11-5pm**

PLATFORM is pleased to present BBW, a solo exhibition of
works by Theresa Chromati. BBW, an acronym used in popular culture, is reclaimed by Chromati in this body of work to celebrate the excellence of black women. Chromati takes Platform into her BBW world through a full scale installation to compliment and court her series of works on paper. The gallery becomes a three dimensional portrayal of wilderness with a kitchen-esque checkerboard flooring. The space is accompanied by aerial melodies paired with dissonant accents produced by Pangelica.

Creating a world for each of her femme figures, Chromati taps into idealized depictions of black women as partners. In each figure, Chromati highlights the beauty of black women’s essence, from their poses to the elegant curves of each silhouette. The details in each piece centralize the figures with a heavy reliance on color and mood. Primary colors and dramatic lighting are reminiscent of clubs and nightlife in Baltimore city.

"BBW" stands for "big beautiful women". And I agree we have assets that are big and beautiful, but there is more to them than just bounce. Could it be that The B's in this acronym point to other descriptors? The artwork seen in "BBW", with it's leisure scenes of black women enjoying life with and without interruptions....just living, reflects on the many "B" words that weave themselves in and out of the varied narratives of Black women: black, besties, bold, brave, bodies, baes, benefits, brains, bliss, blending, bruised, and blame. Just to name a few."
- Theresa Chromati

In conjunction with BBW, Platform will host an artist talk on September 29th from 6-8pm which will be moderated by Elise Peterson.

THERESA CHROMATI is a mixed media artist born and based in Baltimore. Chromati received her BFA at Pratt Institute and is currently working on a new body of work which combines layers of digital and analogue stylized figures and textures. Her work incorporates objects such as masks and detachable body parts that help tell stories involving women’s identity and their interaction with body consciousness, lust, partnership, and their relation to masculine forms.

ELISE PETERSON is a writer, visual artist and educator living and working in New York. Her writing has appeared in Adult, PAPER MAGAZINE, ELLE, LENNY LETTER, and NERVE among others. She previously served as the founding Music Editor at SAINT HERON. She is passionate about storytelling and creating spaces that allow for open dialogue aimed at reframing identity and sexuality as it relates to the marginalized. Her provocative personal narratives are approached with an inherent wit and candor. Comparably, her visual work boldly challenges traditional fine art with the insertion of public figures that were particularly resonant of and vocal about their contemporary black experiences.

PANGELICA is a performance artist and producer born and based in Baltimore. A multi- instrumentalist with roots in classical music, she often intertwines the use of Viola and various other string instruments into her theatrical performance art.