Sublimation focuses on the silent-state of riot, the surreal and absurd space of inequity that generates these proverbial shifts in matter. Kambui Olujimi is interested in the insurrections as a telltale, not just of the socio-economic conditions they belie, but of an invisible psychological terrain that must be negotiated daily. Olujimi will examine the reoccurring forces acting as tinder for these upheavals. Focusing on nine occurrences, he will create fragrances, sculptural installations, and a companion catalog of interviews and research.

The sculptural and installation components of Sublimation will explore the innocuous object, describing a chilling inequity and a persistent, implicit threat to LGBT and Black communities. Olfactory memory is inextricably tied to our long-term memory and scent recognition predates even language. If we consider the riot as a visceral spontaneous response to untenable conditions, then smell is a crucial element of cataloging the human condition.

Kambui Olujimi was born and raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. His work challenges established modes of thinking that commonly function as “inevitabilities.” This pursuit takes shape through interdisciplinary bodies of work spanning sculpture, installation, photography, writing, video, and performance.