Blitz Bazawule
Those Were the Days
ON VIEW FROM JUNE 15 – JULY 13

Sekrit Studios: 923 E 3rd St, Unit 111, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 15, 6–8pm
Viewing Hours: Thursday–Saturday 11am-4pm, Monday–Wednesday by appointment

UTA Artist Space is thrilled to announce the upcoming opening of Those Were the Days, a presentation of new paintings and site specific installation by multidisciplinary artist Blitz Bazawule.

The genesis of the series was inspired by Bazawule’s memories of the faded black-and-white photos that lined the walls of his childhood home in Accra, Ghana – images of his family elegantly dressed in their Sunday best that stirred a deep sense of nostalgia, which then grew into a strong desire to bring those moments back to life. Later, while on tour in Morocco, Bazawule stumbled upon a vintage photograph of a woman standing in the very same place as he was at that moment, but 50 years before.

“I held up the photograph and spun around until it lined up with the same mosque nearby and a light bulb went off right there. I realized that the juxtaposition of the old photograph and the new background had birthed something new. Something more timeless,” said Bazawule. “I imagined vintage photographs held against a modern, vibrant background. This created a time loop, connecting the past with the present.

Shortly after this epiphany, Bazawule began creating a series of paintings that explored the juxtaposition of past and present. An archivist at his core, Bazawule recognizes that his practice of collecting images and storyboarding have instilled in him that every creative methodology finds its purpose and tends to serve as an influence for future works. His previous installation, A Moment in Time, was the source of his initial research for the 2023 musical film The Color Purple, which Bazawule directed. The paintings in Those Were the Days are more personal in nature for Bazawule, exploring memories from his formative years growing up in Ghana. The collection pays tribute to the preceding generation, evoking post colonial independence euphoria which swept the country in the late 1950’s.

“Bazawule’s work breathes new life into the past, bridging the gap between then and now,” said Arthur Lewis, Partner and Creative Director of UTA Fine Arts. “We are thrilled to once again be able to host a collection from Blitz and look forward to being able to share his multi-medium, artistic memories with a public audience.”

Painting was the first form of art that Bazawule developed a deep admiration for. His craft reminds him of the importance of steadfast attentiveness and how that same dedication must be intact to encapsulate all of the specific details in a pinpointed moment of time. Bazawule believes that his craft as a painter strongly influences his prowess as a filmmaker and musician, with one medium feeding into the other. In a 2021 interview with Cultured Magazine, Bazawule suggested “We were never supposed to be one thing. We never are.” Those Were the Days will be on display from June 13th to July 20th at SERKIT Studios in Los Angeles.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Blitz Bazawule (b. 1982, Accra, Ghana) is a Grammy-nominated, internationally renowned artist and director at the top of the fields of film, music, and contemporary art. Blitz‘s feature directorial debut The Burial Of Kojo premiered on Netflix in 2019 via ARRAY Now. He co-directed Beyoncé’s Black Is King (2020) and directed the Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg produced musical adaptation of The Color Purple Musical (2023). Blitz is a Senior TED Fellow, Guggenheim Fellow, and was included in the 2019 Whitney Biennial. As a musician, Blitz has released five studio albums and has toured in over 20 countries. Bazawule is currently working on adapting his debut novel, The Scent Of Burnt Flowers (Ballantine/Penguin Random House, 2022) as a limited series for FX. Bazawule is also working on his feature film, Black Samurai with Warner Bros. Studio produced under his Inward Gaze banner. Blitz is represented by CAA, M88, and Andre Des Rochers and Anita Surendran at Granderson Des Rochers.