Miatta Kawinzi’s An Alphabet of Unfolding Examines Memory, Migration, and the Meaning of Belonging
by Oluchi Onyekwusi Jun 10, 2026
What does it mean to belong to multiple places, cultures, and histories at once? This question forms the foundation of An Alphabet of Unfolding, a new solo exhibition by Miatta Kawinzi, opening at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts.
Working across sculpture, video, sound, text, and installation, Kawinzi creates an immersive environment that explores the intersections of memory, ancestry, migration, and identity. Rather than presenting a singular narrative, the exhibition unfolds through layers of personal and collective histories, inviting audiences to engage with belonging as a dynamic and evolving experience.
Kawinzi’s multidisciplinary practice is informed by a life shaped by multiple cultural geographies. Drawing from personal archives, inherited histories, and broader ecological and social narratives, her work considers how knowledge, traditions, and memories travel across generations and borders. The exhibition reflects on the ways individuals and communities preserve connections to the past while continuously redefining themselves in the present.
At the centre of An Alphabet of Unfolding is the idea that identity is not static. Instead, it is formed through movement, memory, and lived experience. Throughout the exhibition, cultural inheritance emerges not as a fixed point of origin but as an ongoing process of interpretation, adaptation, and renewal.
The exhibition also marks an important chapter in Kawinzi’s long-standing relationship with the Bemis Center. Having previously participated in the institution’s residency programme and later receiving the Ree Kaneko Award, this presentation represents both a significant milestone in her career and the continuation of a creative dialogue that has developed over several years.
At a time when conversations surrounding diaspora, cultural memory, and global identity remain increasingly relevant, Kawinzi offers a thoughtful and nuanced perspective. Rather than seeking definitive conclusions, An Alphabet of Unfolding creates space for reflection, encouraging viewers to consider how histories, places, and personal experiences shape our understanding of who we are and where we belong.
Through poetic storytelling and richly layered installations, the exhibition presents belonging not as a destination, but as an ongoing act of becoming.
