OASIS
Curated by
Laura James, BX200

Artists Jessica Maffia, Xin Song, and Rachel Sydlowski reveal site-specific large-scale paper art installations in the windows of Fordham Plaza through a collaboration between the New York City Department of Transportation and nonprofit Chashama. The exhibition, titled OASIS, was curated by Laura James and will be on view at the plaza outside the Metro North Fordham Station at 1 Fordham Plaza through February 29th, 2020.

Artists are invited to submit ideas for future exhibitions. The next exhibition will open in March, and the final exhibit will open in May. The Request for Proposals can be found here.

Each exhibition is organized by Laura James, independent curator and founder of the Bronx Visual Artist Directory, BX200.

About the Artists 
Jessica Maffia is a visual artist born and raised in New York City. Her work has been exhibited throughout the U.S. and is currently in the Flat Files of Pierogi Gallery in downtown Manhattan. Maffia created the artwork for musician Childish Gambino’s two singles “Summertime Magic” and “Feels Like Summer.” Her installation is titled Shedding Light. 

“I have created a psychological oasis in which the sun sheds light on the dark recesses of the mind to illuminate some of my many self-states. This work is about embracing the full spectrum of selves in the pursuit of integration and liberation,” said Maffia.

Rachel Sydlowski is a New York-based visual artist and educator. Recent Group exhibitions include Wave Hill Sunroom Project Space, The Bronx Museum, New York Public Library, Bronx River Art Center and Lehman College Art Gallery. Sydlowski’s work is titled Keeping Room.

“At the nexus of several transportation lines on Fordham Road, Keeping Room presents a quiet sanctuary away from the noise and complexities of modernity, a mnemonic prompt for reflection, spiritual balance and finding beauty in unlikely places,” Sydlowski said.

Xin Song is a New York artist whose public art projects include a paper cutting performance at the 2017 Venice Biennale, a display at Grand Central Terminal, and an MTA Arts installation at Bay Parkway D Line.  Song’s work Breath Thought at Fordham Plaza presents an abstracted view of a beach scene. 

About BX200
BX200 is a dynamic, online platform that showcases a curated selection of artwork by two hundred artists identified with The Bronx. The directory connects the borough’s artists and art organizations to curators, collectors, art enthusiasts, businesses and other artists worldwide.

For further information about BX200 and their full mission statement and more, visit their website: https://bx200.com/

Oasis is made possible by the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT)