2026 Solo Exhibitions

This exclusive page showcases Garden of the Nine Muses, Afrocentric Keyy’s 2026 solo exhibition. This two-day solo exhibition by Brooklyn artist Afrocentric Keyy (Kiarra Elliott) — a reimagining of classical mythology through a diasporic lens. Each painting in the series resurrects one of the nine Greek Muses not as a distant ideal, but as a living, breathing Black woman. Rooted in memory, lineage, and divine femininity, the work asks a question mythology never did: What if she had always looked like us?

Painted in oil on reclaimed wood, each piece carries more than color. The wood grain beneath the surface — with its knots, its rings, its history of growth — mirrors the grain of human DNA. Every brushstroke is an act of ancestral memory.Over two powerful days, guests experienced an immersive journey of self-discovery, healing, and transformation through her signature Afro-Realism. Blending bold visuals and layered storytelling, the show explored pivotal moments of clarity and personal evolution—inviting viewers to reflect, release, and realign.

The Exhibition

They left our faces out of the garden. We came back to plant our own.

Garden of the Nine Muses was Afrocentric Keyy’s third solo exhibition, reimagining the nine Greek Muses as living Black women through a diasporic lens.

Presented through nine large-scale oil portraits on reclaimed wood, the collection explored memory, lineage, divine femininity, and Black identity across the African diaspora. The grain, knots, and history of the wood became part of the story — reflecting DNA, ancestry, and what we carry forward.

At its center was one question:

What if the Muses had always looked like us?
“I paint on what has already lived. The wood remembers. The women I paint remember. And when you stand in front of them, you will too.”
— Afrocentric Keyy, Artist Statement

Nine figures. Nine archetypes. One living archive.

July 17–18, 2026 · Seven House Gallery · Brooklyn, NY

The Experience

You walked in, and the wood breathed beneath the oil. Each face held something the Greeks never told you — a secret, a lineage, a name that somehow felt like it had always been yours.

You didn’t simply look at the paintings. You recognized something within them.

Garden of the Nine Muses was created for you —

For everyone who had ever searched for their face in a myth and didn’t find it.
For the daughters of the diaspora, and the sons who knew the story belonged to them, too.
For collectors drawn to work that carries cultural weight beyond aesthetic appeal.
For those who believed Black art was never simply a genre — it was a canon.
For the curious, the reverent, and those who allowed themselves to feel deeply in front of a painting.
For Brooklyn. For the culture. For the Muses.

For two days, the Garden opened its gates and invited us into two distinct experiences — to gather, look closer, reflect, create, and remember.

Friday, July 17

The Muse Unveiling

Opening night marked the official unveiling of Garden of the Nine Muses, bringing together art, storytelling, music, and community.

For the first time, all nine Muses were revealed as guests stepped into the Garden and experienced the symbolism, lineage, and stories woven throughout the collection.

The evening featured a live curated DJ set, an artist talk exploring the inspiration and process behind the work, and space to gather, connect, and celebrate.

The Garden was officially open — and the Muses had arrived.

Saturday, July 18

Muse Immersion

Saturday invited guests to move slower, look deeper, and stay present within the Garden.

Through guided exploration, interactive reflection, open dialogue, and creative activations, visitors experienced the symbolism, materials, and stories behind the Nine Muses at a more intimate pace.

The afternoon also featured Paint Your Muse, where guests created their own Muse-inspired works rooted in memory, lineage, and personal storytelling.