Dancing through the Rainbows and the Tears

Charlotte Ka
Dancing through the Rainbows and the Tears, 2015
Acrylic over cutout figures and glass beads. 

"We have danced from the tribal dances of Africa and the majestic Alvin Ailey Dance Company to the Funk! Dance is our salvation, our escape! We have even danced when our spirits called for it in Church! This piece is a testament to the power of dance and how we have used dance as an antidote to generational trauma. We have danced through the rainbows of life and we have danced through the tears. We rejoice, dance and we get the party started!” - Charlotte Ka

Charlotte Ka is best known for her installations and mixed media paintings. Born in Pittsburgh, Ka studied at The Cooper Union, New York, before receiving her BFA from Carnegie Mellon University, her MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and an MS from the Bank Street College of Education. While  in  New  York, Ka was a member of the influential Black artist collective Where We At. She is a long-time member of Women of Visions. Her work has been exhibited in many exhibitions in Pittsburgh and New York, and internationally at the National Museum of Accra in Ghana and the Havana Biennial in Cuba. Ka and her partner Mobutu operate the MOKA gallery in Pittsburgh’s Hill District.