NewsIn Her Absence: Matriarchal Musings

Gallery 495 is proud to present In Her Absence: Matriarchal Musings, a solo presentation by Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist Karina Sharif at The Armory Show 2025. Sharif’s practice centers on the divine multiplicity of Black Femme-hood, explored through sculptural works made of natural elements. Her sculptures present a tactile and luminous exploration of lineage, legacy, and the unseen bonds between women across realms. Inspired by oral histories of her maternal ancestors from 19th and 20th-century rural Jamaica, Sharif transforms memory into sculptural forms that bridge spiritual and physical worlds.

The collection—comprising ceramic, steel, paper, ink, and family-found objects—draws on matriarchal traditions of farming, weaving, sewing, and craft. Stones gathered with her mother by the sea during childhood travels become embedded in lamps, incense holders, wall sculptures, and beaded totems. These works function as transmissions, offering a visual language for intergenerational care and guidance.

Sharif references the Lukasa board of the Luba people of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a mnemonic device used to preserve genealogies and cultural history through touch. Similarly, her works invite viewers into active communion rather than passive observation.

“In this body of work, I wanted to articulate the sacred lines of communication between
realms—how they inspire grounded-ness, joy, love, and expansion,” says Sharif.

Trelawny (Light sculpture), Stoneware, porcelain, paper stoneware, glaze, steel, hand made paper, paper pulp, steel, lighting parts, 22” H x 17” W x 11” D, 2025

Channel 2 (incense holder), Stoneware, glaze, found stone, steel, 7” H x 6 1⁄4” W x 2 1⁄2” D, 2025

Encoded Transmissions (Light sculpture), Porcelain, stoneware, paper stoneware, steel, body cast paper mold, india ink, found stone, glaze, lighting parts, 34 1⁄2 “ H x 41” W x 27" D, 2025