Moki Cherry Retrospective at The Contemporary Austin Fills Two Floors
"The Living Temple: The World of Moki Cherry," the most extensive retrospective of the artist's work in the U.S., is currently on display at The Contemporary Austin – Jones Center. This exhibition encompasses both floors, highlighting Cherry's diverse career through her vibrant silk tapestries, paintings, and paper creations. It pays tribute to her collaboration with jazz musician Don Cherry, featuring album artwork and performance videos. Children can engage with interactive components, and their musician siblings, Neneh and Eagle-Eye, are also represented. A standout piece is a green table set on a mirrored pedestal. The exhibition is open until January 17, 2027. Installation photography is credited to Baptiste Despois, while a portrait from 2006 is by Sveva Costa Sanseverino.
Key facts
- "The Living Temple: The World of Moki Cherry" is on view at The Contemporary Austin – Jones Center through January 17, 2027.
- It is described as the largest-scale retrospective of Moki Cherry's work yet mounted in the U.S.
- The show fills both floors of The Contemporary and spans her entire career in a wide range of mediums.
- Moki Cherry designed a dozen album covers for Don Cherry, displayed and playable on headphone stations in the exhibition.
- The exhibition includes videos of performances and happenings plus interactive elements catered to children.
- Moki and Don Cherry's children, Neneh and Eagle-Eye, both musicians, were included in all the art and the music.
- The most striking work cited is a green table on a mirrored pedestal, its underside carved and painted by Cherry into a mystical landscape.
- Installation photos are by Baptiste Despois, courtesy The Contemporary Austin; a 2006 portrait is by Sveva Costa Sanseverino, courtesy of the Estate of Moki Cherry.
Entities
Artists
- Moki Cherry
- Don Cherry
- Neneh Cherry
- Eagle-Eye Cherry
- John Cage
- Pharoah Sanders
- John Coltrane
- Alice Coltrane
- Miles Davis
- Charles Mingus
- Thelonious Monk
- Laraaji
- Amma
- Baptiste Despois
- Sveva Costa Sanseverino
Institutions
- The Contemporary Austin
- The Contemporary Austin – Jones Center
- Blank Forms
- Estate of Moki Cherry
- Glasstire
Locations
- Austin
- United States
- Kerala
- India
- Los Angeles
- Chinatown