STEVENSON is pleased to present And you are of the heavens and of the earth, a solo exhibition of paintings by Ruth Ige. The artist writes: Prelude I have been observing ideas of the ethereal and how society views things that are ethereal, holy, heavenly, otherworldly, royal, and beautiful as things void of blackness and black people. Blackness has been systematically categorized as not having the characteristics or innate ability to be ethereal both visually, historically, and spiritually: as a visual colour and as a race. And you are of the heavens and of the earth is a declaration, but also an exploration. The body of work weaves speculative fiction, history, art history, traditional culture, precolonial belief, future imaginings, and my own created mythologies. It explores blackness from otherworldly beings to the everyday person and those who hover between two worlds and dimensions. And you are of the heavens and of the earth And you are of the heavens and of the earth, Beloved of the light Beloved of the water Beloved of the spirit and all its wonder. You are the light revealed The light released The light unwavering Uncontained Moving through woven realms, dimensions, universes, and worlds You are worthy of the earth and all its blessings You are worthy of the heavens and all its honour. And you are of the heavens and of the earth is Ige’s second exhibition with the gallery, following Freedom's recurring dream, in Johannesburg in 2022.