NOIR! “The Embrace”

To say the least, NOIR! was definitely an interesting experience as I walked into the ICO Gallery in Chelsea. NOIR! which premiered in Europe at the Hawke & Hunter’s venue, The Green Room in Ednbrugh, UK, has now expanded across seas to the US. On Sept 8^th, NOIR! “The Embrace” collection debut.

NOIR! is an ongoing nocturnal event fusing art, film, fashion and music together. An expanding concept that loosely bases itself on Andy Warhol’s Factory, NOIR! is unique in that it shows projects as works in progress. This is done to create an atmosphere much like an artist’s studio and give the implication that one is partying there. The feeling is similar to being in the cutting room with a filmmaker, where all the excitement of the creative process is still fresh.

It surely felt like an ongoing project as different mediums of art, film, and audio were being presented in each room. In their US debut, NOIR! showcased the collection of “The Embrace” which echoed a world of darkness exploding with unimaginable, raw sexuality & unspeakable actions and taboos etched and painted on floor length canvases and moleskins.

- Tiffany Chen

Photos by Chris Ross

NOIR! is curated by Rachel Wilkie and Ezra Mabengeza.

Biographies

Rachel Reid Wilkie is a fashion designer, artist and poet. Her career in fashion began in Milan, Italy working with renowned design houses Alessandro Dell’Acqua, Costume National and Carol Christian Poell. She later moved to Stockholm, Sweden and worked as the Design Director for J. Lindeberg. In 2007, Rachel moved to New York and began working for PARIS68 on their private label, luxury womenswear. She also consults for other brands including Justin Timberlake’s label, William Rast, where she manages Timberlake’s made-to-measure tailoring. As a poet, Rachel brings the written and spoken word together through image and digital movement, and continues to explore the relationship between thought, word and action. She performed United Existence (poetry live) in Italy and Switzerland. Her poetry can be found at www.reidwilkie.blogspot.com.

Ezra Mabengeza is a film, television and stage actor, a photographer and model. His acting credits include Spike Lee’s “Miracle At St. Anna”, “ER”, the lead role in “Bold As Love,” directed by Joshua bee Alafia and co-starring Roger Guenveur Smith. Ezra also performed in Uwe Boll’s “Janjaweed,” alongside Billy Zane, appeared with Beyoncé Knowles in her video, “Ring the Alarm,” and most recently worked with Clint Eastwood in “Invictus.” He served as Budweiser’s major official sponsor as the global ambassador for South Africa at the 2010 World Cup. He is currently preparing for his first starring roll on Broadway as Patrice Lumumba in “A Season in the Congo,” set to run from September 30th to October 17th at the Lion Theatre. Ezra is an avid photographer and his work can be viewed at www.bantustand.com and www.atruthinblackandwhite.com.