Oakland-based artist Muzae Sesay makes paintings that examine the world around him with an eye towards not only art history and artistic practice, but also the power of place and identity. Long interested in both sociology and architecture, Sesay's works take on the urban landscape, in particular. Sesay makes nuanced compositions that address the visual and emotional resonances of how we live together. With regard to how his paintings - which draw on a range of traditions - operate as art objects, Sesay proposes an intentionally open-ended narrative approach. He notes that, in his work, "Each viewer is a guest, encouraged to navigate the space with their unique perspective."
Muzae Sesay (b. 1989, Long Beach, CA) is currently featured in “Bay Area Now 9” Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (San Francisco, CA). Right now, Sesay’s works are on view in the collections of de Young Museum (San Francisco, CA) and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (San Francisco, CA). Muzae Sesay’s work recently appeared in the solo exhibition, "The Breeze and I," and the group exhibitions, “Arcadia and Elsewhere” James Cohan Gallery (New York, NY); “Pocket Universe,” and, “Night Painting,” at Philip Martin Gallery (Los Angeles, CA). In 2020, Sesay’s work was the subject of a solo project at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (San Francisco, CA); in 2022, Sesay wrote an essay for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art catalog, "Joan Brown," on her sculptural works. The work of Muzae Sesay has been featured in group exhibitions at UTA Artist Space (Los Angeles, CA) and San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (San Jose, CA). Sesay’s solo and group gallery exhibitions include Pt. 2 Gallery (Oakland, CA); Eighteen Gallery (Copenhagen, Denmark); Public Gallery (London, UK); Berggruen Gallery (San Francisco); and The Pit (Los Angeles, CA). Muzae Sesay’s work has been featured in San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Magazine, Museum of the African Diaspora Magazine, Juxtpoz, Vice, Oakland Magazine and SF Weekly. Muzae Sesay lives and works in Oakland, CA.