NORTH MIAMI, FL.- The Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami announced the opening of the groundbreaking exhibition, "Lonnie Holley: If You Really Knew," which showcases the extraordinary work of renowned artist Lonnie Holley. Curated by Adeze Wilford, the exhibition marks the first major exhibition of the Birmingham-born artist in the South and will run from May 10 through October 1, 2023.

"Lonnie Holley: If You Really Knew" offers a deep dive into Holley's remarkable career, spanning across mediums including sculpture, painting, and music. Holley's passion for inspiring change through art has resulted in an extensive and diverse body of work that explores critical moments in U.S. history, global environmental responsibility, and deeply personal memories.

Holley shares, "My art confronts the past, engages with the present, and inspires change for the future. This exhibition allows me to share my journey and connect with viewers on a meaningful level."

The exhibition features early sandstone sculptures, recent works on paper, and paintings on vintage quilts, showcasing Holley's talent for repurposing discarded objects and giving them new life. The faces that permeate many of his works encourage reflection on humanity's priorities and the privilege of being seen.

Curator Adeze Wilford explains, "Lonnie Holley's art transforms the overlooked and discarded into profound expressions of beauty and meaning. This exhibition invites viewers to explore his multifaceted artistic identity and witness the transformative power of his works."

Highlights include “Without Skin/The Water This Time,” which uses found objects, such as firehoses, to represent suppression methods during the Civil Rights Movement. In “Without Skin,” hoses symbolize domestic terror, while “The Water This Time” features a cross that references both the church's role as a gathering place for Black Americans and the Ku Klux Klan's intimidation tactics. Another highlight is the captivating "Sandstone Room,” which showcases sculptures made from discarded steel armature casts, silt, and sand. Drawing inspiration from various aesthetic influences, Holley's sculptures demonstrate his ability to transform discarded objects into meaningful artwork, reminding us of the nation's past and the progress yet to be made.

"Lonnie Holley: If You Really Knew" celebrates Holley's remarkable talent, artistic evolution, and contributions to modern art history. The exhibition offers a unique and immersive experience, inviting visitors to explore an artist's practice that confronts American history, engages with personal memoir, and shares an ever-evolving output across various mediums.

Lonnie Holley was born on February 10, 1950, in Birmingham, Alabama. Holley has devoted his life to the practice of improvisational creativity. His art and music, born out of struggle, hardship, but perhaps more importantly, out of furious curiosity and biological necessity, has manifested itself in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, performance, and sound. Holley’s work is in permanent museum collections throughout the country, on display in the United Nations, and been displayed in the White House Rose Garden. In January of 2014, Holley completed a one-month artist-in-residence with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation in Captiva Island, Florida, site of the acclaimed artist’s studio.