Kajahl: Ultra Mare

On view July 13, 2024 - January 5, 2025

Kajahl. Iceberg History. 2022. Oil on canvas.

Santa Cruz, CA based artist Kajahl's work is inspired by the ancient world. Through his oil paintings, he brings fictional characters to life in imagined scenes. The works in Ulta Mare are inspired by the sea and ancient heritage, using portraiture to challenge and overturn white, European historical narratives. Kajahl reimagines Greco-Roman artifacts, depicting Africans as mystical seaborne figures, redefining the historical portrayal of “aethiops,” an archaic term for dark-skinned people.

About the Artist

Kajahl

Kajahl’s work is inspired by the ancient world. He brings fictional characters to life in an imagined scene, through the medium and tradition of oil painting. In a sense, his work is based on a true story that diverges into fantasy, placing Kajahl as court painter to a mythical civilization.

Upcoming Programming

Featured
FRESH Water New Look Weekend
Jul 12
FRESH Water New Look Weekend

Celebrate three exhibitions with the FRESH Water New Look Weekend, with a New Look Preview Party, artist led tours, a lecture, book signing, artist demonstration, and more. Some programs require advance ticketing.

FRESH Water New Look Preview Party
Jul 12
FRESH Water New Look Preview Party

Ticket $20  |  Member Tickets: $15 

This evening celebrates the artists, exhibitions and stories behind three exhibitions. With curatorial-led tours, a staged social discussion with the exhibiting artists, and a dancehall to close out the night, this will be an evening you will not want to miss.

FRESH Water New Look Weekend
Jul 13
FRESH Water New Look Weekend

Gallery Admission $5 | Member Gallery Admission: Free

Celebrate three exhibitions with the FRESH Water New Look Weekend, with a New Look Preview Party, artist led tours, a lecture, book signing, artist demonstration, and more. Some programs require advance ticketing.

H20 Artist Lecture Series: Exploring the Historical Evolution of Oil painting Techniques with Kajahl
Jul 13
H20 Artist Lecture Series: Exploring the Historical Evolution of Oil painting Techniques with Kajahl

Tickets: $5

Join artist Kajahl, as he examines how oil painting techniques have adapted and evolved throughout history. Kajahl will touch on how these techniques have influenced his own work and style.

FRESH Water Artist Tour with with Kao Kalia Yang, Khoa Le, and Kajahl [Saturday]
Jul 13
FRESH Water Artist Tour with with Kao Kalia Yang, Khoa Le, and Kajahl [Saturday]

Tickets: $5

Don’t miss your chance to tour the new exhibition Ultra Mare with the exhibiting artist, Kajahl, and to experience Across a Wide Ocean: Remarkable Stories about the Origins of Identity, with author Kao Kalia Yang, and  illustrator Khoa Le. Assistive listening devices will be used on this tour.

FRESH Water New Look Weekend
Jul 14
FRESH Water New Look Weekend

Gallery Admission $5 | Member Gallery Admission: Free

Celebrate three exhibitions with the FRESH Water New Look Weekend, with a New Look Preview Party, artist led tours, a lecture, book signing, artist demonstration, and more. Some programs require advance ticketing.

FRESH Water Artist Tour with with Kao Kalia Yang, Khoa Le, and Kajahl [Sunday]
Jul 14
FRESH Water Artist Tour with with Kao Kalia Yang, Khoa Le, and Kajahl [Sunday]

Tickets: $5

Don’t miss your chance to tour the new exhibition Ultra Mare with the exhibiting artist, Kajahl, and to experience Across a Wide Ocean: Remarkable Stories about the Origins of Identity, with author Kao Kalia Yang, and  illustrator Khoa Le. Assistive listening devices will be used on this tour.

Support Comes From

Carl and Verna Schmidt Foundation

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.