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On View February 28, 2026 - July 26, 2026

Two angular metal figurines with detailed faces and headpieces are connected by a chain, with additional chains hanging from their heads and waists. The figure on the left represents a female and the one on the right a male. They are affixed onto a dark rectangular base, placed in front of a plain grey backdrop.

A colloquial shorthand that invokes muscles and showing off, especially among Black Americans, “flex” intends all the puns. It represents a masculinity for which manhood is not the equivalent, but rather a dynamic form of creative expression available to everyone, regardless of gender. The centerpiece of this exhibition is a historic Yoruba-style Ogboni emblem depicting a male and female figure bound together. Both figures are bearded, capturing this exhibition’s investigation of masculinity as, indeed, a flexible practice. 
Caption (right): Edan Ògbóni/Òsùgbó (emblem for Ògbóni/Òsùgbó), Yoruba (Ijebu) style, 19th-20th century. Copper alloy, 11 5/8 x 10 5/8 x 2 in. (29.53 x 26.99 x 5.08 cm). The Stanley Collection of African Art, X1986.502. Unrecorded artist; Nigeria

Two framed photos show carved wooden statues. The figure on the left has masculine features, with a feminine dress and heels on, and text overlayed on it that reads, "Made for him, she represented the perfect woman." The figure on the right depicts a feminine face with masculine pants on and text overlayed that reads, "Made for her, he represented the perfect man."

FLEX surveys interconnected expressions of masculinities in Africa and its diaspora, and is organized into three thematic zones: Proverbial Expression, Style, and Masquerade. Sumptuous garments, grandiose portraits, and wooden masks convey masculinity’s highly performative and ritual dimensions. Works on paper and in brass speak to its associations with wealth, wisdom and speech, while other artworks explore narratives on labor, status, and sensuality. 

Caption (left): Made for Him, Made for Her, 1993. C-prints, etched glass. 39 1/2 x 19 1/2 in. (100.33 x 49.53 cm). Mark Ranney Memorial Fund. 2011.51a,b. Carrie Mae Weems (American, 1953– ).

Curated by Cory K Gundlach (CKG) and Derek K Nnuro (DKN), selected objects feature a correspondence between the two curators.