KIJA LUCAS

SENTIMENTAL TAXONOMY

October 30th- November 28th, 2015

Opening Reception: Friday, October 30th from 6-9pm

Random Parts is pleased to announce the exhibition, Sentimental Taxonomy, by visual artist Kija Lucas. These artworks are part of a larger ongoing series, Objects To Remember You By: An Index Of Sentiment, where Lucas explores the emotional attachments one has with personal, sentimental objects or keepsakes. By inviting people from the general public to photograph their personal mementos, Lucas is exploring the connection one has with their objects. What is it that about an object’s sentimentality that keeps the person from throwing or giving it away? Why do certain objects have a psychological hold on someone? Like an archaeologist excavating for clues of past civilizations, Lucas’ works explores the fascination people have with keepsakes. She shows us that the objects one cherishes can be both comforting and burdensome.

These highly evocative and resonating works are personal yet collectively they are all part of who we are. Each object has a story to tell, but through Lucas’ photographs these stories can only be imagined; they are a reflection of the remnants of lives lived.

We carry objects through our lives, attaching memories and meanings to them that surpass their initial usefulness. Something held by a loved one allows us to feel close to that person, even without their presence. While these objects can offer a sense of safety or closeness, they can also be heavy and difficult. When creating a place to live, we commonly introduce these objects to make our spaces our own and to remind us of what matters from our past.

For this project, Lucas asks members of the community to bring in an object of sentimental value to be photographed.

Please bring objects to Random Parts on the following days:

Saturday, October 31st, 2015 from 11-4pm and Sunday, November 1st, 2015 from 11-4pm

Kija Lucas is an artist and educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She uses photography to explore ideas of home, heritage and inheritance. She is interested in how ideas are passed down and seemingly inconsequential moments create changes that last generations. Lucas received her BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2006 and her MFA from Mills College in 2010. Her work has been exhibited throughout the Bay Area, at Montalvo Arts Center, Three30Forty, The Headlands Center for the Arts, The California Institute of Integral Studies, Altar Space, Intersection for the Arts, Luggage Store, Mission Cultural Center, Root Division, The Bedford Gallery, Pro Arts, The Asian Resource Center Gallery, as well as Venice Arts in Los Angeles, CA, La Sala d’Ercole/Hercules Hall in Bologna Italy, and Casa Escorsa in Guadalajara, Mexico. Lucas has been an artist in residence at Montalvo Arts Center, Grin City Collective, and the Wassaic Artist Residency.