Creative Polymath Solo Exhibition in Mainland China

Sometimes I think about the idea of what it truly means to be a creative polymath.

The definition of a?polymath?is,

an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems.

I am a Polymath, Interdisciplinary Artist, and Educator. Born in,"the projects," of Newark New Jersey raised all over New York City. For many years I’ve been asked the question to choose. Pick one discipline. Check one box or follow one path. But I never believed that was who I truly was. As an artist I considered myself a creative polymath following in the footsteps of famous artist like Leonardo da Vinci.

According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica.??

“ the great scholars and thinkers of the?Islamic Golden Age,?Renaissance, and?Enlightenment, who excelled at several fields in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and the arts.

In the?Italian Renaissance, the idea of the polymath was expressed by?Leon Battista Alberti?(1404–1472) in the statement that

"a man can do all things if he will".

What about a women who could do all things if she wills ? A black women who can do all things ? I pondered on this definition in my undergrad. I did not find much writing or documenting about these notions at that time. I later realized, after almost double majoring in astrophysics and Art education that I was a, "Renaissance Women." But I did not yet know how to best express this inner knowing.

When you have a mind that is a sponge. You find yourself on the constant search, or thrilling hunger for knowledge. That curiosity lead me be a busy learner as a child and an explorer as an adult. Traveling to different countries, experiencing different cultures with all my 5 senses. Continuously Learning from people all over the world.?

In 2017 I moved to China. The best way I can describe my experience as a Black women artist in short, “Its was like traveling to a whole nother planet.” At first it was not easy to adjust. But, over time I was able to pick up on the “vibe,”of the people the culture and some of the language.?

My favorite memories in china include; Exploring The beautiful landscapes, rivers and the mountains.

The sea of yellow, pink and white lotus blossoms that bloom in the spring and summer in Hangzhou.

Lastly, the different forms of martial arts i practice; tai chi, traditional shaolin and qigong.

During the pandemic, I was not able to travel home to NYC so I used that time to focus on my creative practice in my studio in Hangzhou China. I stayed off social media and practiced daily sunrise meditations. For the first time in my life, I was able to be still, like water. The stillness & patience that this pandemic has given me, has allowed me to hone my powers as a creative innovator. I do not have to choose to be an educator or an artist I am both and much, much more. I gave myself permission to be limitless in my creativity and my imagination.

My creative practice inspires my educational world and my educational philosophies inspire my creative practice. I believe that the future of Arts Education & Science is cross-cultural and interdisciplinary. The mind of the artist is full of endless creativity. I believe it is this “creative flow," that is needed to fuel the future of science and technology.

Quote from famous Artist & Inventor Leonardo Da Vinci once stated,

"Study the science of art. Study the art of science.”

In May 2021 I completed my first. Solo Exhibition in mainland China. entitled "Cycles of Light.” It was a deeply moving exhibit exploring positive recurring cycles of light within a community, relationships, and within oneself. Viewers were able to take a journey with me, to acquire beautiful knowledge of love energy through the interconnectedness of light as a web of universal stories portraying love, play, and joy. Emotions that have long existed in the past, reside with us all in the present, and will always await us in the future.

My creative... narrative........

I never saw myself as a prisoner in the present but as a creative timeless being who could feel the vibrations of different decades thought story, music, danced my fantastical imagination.?

I am interested in light, quantum mechanics and the the flow of Time. My work explores; physics, Indigenous science, fantasy and black joy/play. My creative process is driven by Archaeoastronomy, the study of how indigenous people in the past have understood the?phenomenon?in the sky. In my recent painting entitled, “Equation for cycles of light,” The oil painting depicts a glimpse of a future where an, Astrophysicist musician heals from wounds of his ancestral past and discovers the meaning to one of science most complex unsolved mysteries, Dark Matter and Dark Energy.?I build worlds I manipulate time and space to create multimedia narratives that depict positive futures I want to see.

Mae Jamison former Astronaut, dancer, doctor

“Never limit yourself because of others' limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination.”

Thank you for reading! ....if you are a person who is, "A jack of all trades and master of all things".. keep on being who you are.