Khaila

Join me for the reception of “I’m Uncomfortable “, my solo exhibition at AlterWork Studios. Featuring six untitled works, the exhibition explores contemporary existence shaped by the psychological and emotional weight of living in a world saturated with misinformation, and conflict. Through inversion and abstraction, the paintings inhabit discomfort, reflecting on the complexities of navigating the present moment. I invite you to experience the work in person. Artist Reception: 6 PM, Thursday, April 18
📍 AlterWork Studios
40-20 22nd Street, Long Island City, NY On View: Daily from 12–9 PM, April 11–18, 2026. Image: “untitled, 1”

#AlterWorkStudios welcomes Artist in Residence Khaila Batts (@khailabatts )! Khaila joins us for a two month residency culminating in a gallery exhibition from 4/11-4/18. Join us at the artist reception on Thursday, April 16th at 6pm. Khaila Batts is a multidisciplinary artist working at the intersection of painting, digital collage, and installation. Born in Philadelphia and raised in Brooklyn, her work explores memory, identity, and the interplay between perception and technology. Batts holds an MFA in Studio Art and a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from The City College of New York. Her practice utilizes archival family photographs, layered materials like acetate and fabric, and vibrant color inversions to challenge racialized visual norms while offering nuanced meditations on Black identity. Through both static and interactive elements, her work asks audiences to reconsider how personal and collective histories are documented, erased, and reclaimed. Image 1: We Keep Us Safe?, 2024, Digital Collage Image 2: Subway, 2022, Digital Collage

Emancipation: The Rise of Womanhood closes next week. In anticipation of the closing reception we are highlighting the artists. Today’s spotlight is on visual artist @khailabatts Join us for the closing reception on March 6, 6pm, at the Jamaica Arts Center, 161-04 Jamaica Avenue. Emancipation: The Rise of Womanhood is curated by @alma.leya and sponsored by @resortsworldnyc , the exclusive corporate sponsor for JCAL Arts. Photos taken by @artphotofilms

In case you missed it! Here’s a look at last week’s opening of Emancipation: The Rise of Womanhood. The exhibit (Curated by Alma Leya) is open until March 6! Check it out, and RSVP to the closing at JCAL.org. Photos by Anthony Artis @artphotofilms

Highlighting the work of @khailabatts , a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores Black identity, perception and the ways race and memory intersect with environment and technology. Working across digital collage and oil painting, Batts raises questions about how identity is constructed, flattened and reimagined in both historical and contemporary contexts.  Rooted in her Black American heritage, her work blends archival materials and contemporary techniques to create immersive pieces that bridge history, memory and diasporic identity. In a statement, Batts shared: “My work reimagines the Black body as both alienated and autonomous, as distant yet undeniably present. I see my paintings as portals, inviting viewers to confront and reflect on the complexities of identity, violence and belonging.” *** [1] Braids (2025) Oil on Canvas. 48 x 32 inches. Credit: Khaila Batts  [2] Hello End (2022) Charcoal, Acrylic on Canvas.  60 x 35 inches. Credit: Khaila Batts [3] Grilled (2025) Oil on Canvas. 44 x 42 inches. Credit: Khaila Batts [4] Ethel (2022) Oil on Canvas. 58 x 45 inches. Credit: Khaila Batts Epicenter NYC features a news local artist every week. Submit your poem, short story, artwork or any other shareable experience to the link in our bio. If your work is selected you will receive a $100 stipend and become part of our growing network of artists!

I’m currently on a residency at PLAYA’s November cohort in Summer Lake, Oregon.

I recently started my first mural as part of the Grandscale Paint Party, which took place on Saturday, October 18, at the southwest corner of 125th Street and Third Avenue. The work is now finished, and I invite everyone to stop by and see it in person, along with the incredible pieces created by so many other talented artists featured in the project. Painting on such a short and busy street was definitely a challenge , there’s always a lot of foot traffic and movement , but the experience was deeply rewarding. While I was working, so many people passed by to share kind words and to say, “Thank you for making the block beautiful.” Those moments reminded me why community is so important. As an artist, this mural is one way I can give back and say thank you. Your encouragement and appreciation mean so much and make the work even more meaningful. (Also , thank you to @ankhlave and @sumofallawe for recommending for Grandscale Mural Project.)

AnkhLave is excited to release our GoFundMe campaign (🔗 in Bio ⬇️) for our newest program, “The AnkhLave International Artist Exchange: Kenya Edition”! This program is about building bridges through art, honoring ancestry, fostering dialogue, and celebrating the living connections between African and African American communities. Regarding the show, Dario Mohr (Director/ Curator) shares: I first met the Indigenous Kenyan artists, Kukuyi artist: Wanjiku Nderitu and Luo artist: Linda Daisy during my residency at Tafaria Castle & Center for the Arts in Nyeri, Kenya, in 2023. Their work, rooted in ancestral memory, community, and spiritual traditions, left a profound impression on me. Inspired by these encounters, I returned to Kenya in 2025 to present “Echoes of Home”, a groundbreaking exhibition featuring 32 African American artists who had never exhibited on the African continent. This exchange sparked meaningful dialogue and created connections between artists across continents. In 2026, this project comes full circle as our Kenyan artists travel to New York City to share their vibrant voices with a wider audience. They will create large-scale vinyl murals installed on the fencing of Old Stone House Brooklyn in Washington Park, bringing Indigenous Kenyan visual traditions into the public sphere in NYC. Funds from this campaign will support mural production and installation, as well as airfare, accommodations, and meals for the visiting Kenyan artists during their weeklong stay. The murals will be complemented by a gallery exhibition of the Echoes of Home artists (from the U.S.) and will feature a panel discussion where Kenyan and African American artists reflect on heritage, diaspora, and the shared global Black experience. Additionally, funding will go toward a catalogue we are producing to commemorate this milestone in the participating artist’s career! By supporting this campaign, you help make visible the stories, traditions, and creativity of artists whose work strengthens cultural exchange and enriches our shared understanding of home and identity.

Perception in Fragments: Unveiling Family Through Color and Memory 🌀 📍 Lake George Arts Project 🗓️ View: July 9 – August 10, 2025 📸 credit : McLaughlin Photography @jimmclaughlinphoto

✨ First Solo Show! ✨ I’m excited to announce my debut solo exhibition, Perception in Fragments: Unveiling Family Through Color and Memory, opening at the Lake George Arts Project in Lake George, NY 🌀 📍 Lake George Arts Project 1 Lower Amherst Street, Lake George, NY 🗓️ On View: July 9 – August 10, 2025 🎉 Artist’s Reception: Saturday, July 12 | 4–6PM 🕰️ Gallery Hours: Wed–Fri: 12–5PM | Sat & Sun: 12–4PM This body of work continues my exploration of Black identity through media distortion, color inversion, and family memory. By merging archival imagery, digital collage, and painted surfaces, I question how technology, perception, and lived experience shape the way Black life is remembered and seen. Grateful to share this moment—and these stories—with you. Come through if you’re upstate!

Grateful for the past two months with the AnkhLave Artists in Residence Cycle 1 at Governors Island 🌿. This residency was a much-needed shift—a break from the noise of the city and my home studio constraints. It offered space and community that allowed me to separate and deepen my practice. Even through the heat (and the procrastination it brought 😅), I found myself surrounded by an incredible cohort of artists—like @malikavictor transformative work honoring the Bronx, @love.lenalove intimate storytelling through motherhood and memory, and @yupinpramotepipop land installations and print classes. This group made the experience even more impactful. During my time on the island, I was able to push through and complete several large-scale works that will feed directly into an upcoming project. Thank you all for your creativity, care, and conversation. (photo credit to AnkhLave and Yupin Pramotepipo)

📣 Thrilled to share that my piece “Cool Autumn Blues” is part of Echoes of Home—an exhibition by @ankhlave at the @tafaria.castle in Nyeri, Kenya 🇰🇪 🗓️ Opening Reception: July 2, 2025 🌀 Panel Discussion: 5–6PM Kenya Time | 10–10:30AM EST — tune in via IG Live from the U.S. 🎉 Reception Continues: 6–8PM Kenya Time 🖼️ On View: July 2–30, 2025 Curated by @dariomohr_art , the show features over 30 Black artists such as me, Trasonia Abbott,Adar Howard , Darian Stewart  and others from across the U.S., exploring ancestral identity through powerful two-dimensional works. “Cool Autumn Blues” directly engages the show’s theme by addressing the fractures between Black American identity and ancestral legacy. Through multicolor screen print, I depict three generations of African Americans dissolving into an urban landscape—trash, police presence, and decay echoing a painful truth: how systemic neglect and environmental injustice can sever cultural memory. Deeply honored to contribute to this global conversation. 🌍