Foraged Futures: Material Memories of Place

A Jacoub Reyes Exhibition | The Storefront

A ceramic and printmaking exhibition that focuses archival materials found in the Broward County Library Archives. The works respond and expand on the histories in Broward that aren't always visible.

Jacoub Reyes's artist statement: 

My practice investigates the human form intersected with vegetal life, an approach I define as phytomorphic resistance. As the child of a Catholic Caribbean mother and a South Asian Muslim father, I examine how anatomy serves as a site for both historical tension and botanical renewal. By carving the body transforming, hybridizing, and mutating into plants, my work analyzes themes of migration, displacement, and colonial taxonomy.

This inquiry is anchored by my work as a part-time gardener, where I cultivate native species and manually remove invasive growth. These land management rhythms translate directly into my studio production, where my gardening and creative processes converge through material choices. I forage for earth pigments and local flora from the landscapes I tend, infusing them into my inks so each print carries the material memory of the environment.

Because the monumental scale of my relief carvings exceeds machine capacity, I print entirely by hand using found glass and wooden spoons. This manual process requires physical endurance and is often facilitated through community collaboration, turning studio production into a collective ritual. After printing, I reclaim the wooden matrix by painting its surface. In doing so, I subvert the traditional concept of printmaking as a medium of replication; the unique carving stands alone as a permanent, singular sculpture, proving its potential is far more vast than its initial utility as a tool.

This spirit of exchange extends nationally through travel, public workshops, and research partnerships with regional libraries, museums, and universities. By utilizing local special collections and archives, I collaborate with residents to examine regional native flora and unearth the true history of their surroundings. This methodology views liberation and freedom as inseparable from the land; by understanding these histories, communities can find ways to reclaim access and sovereignty over the spaces they inhabit.

Jacoub Reyes's bio: 

Jacoub Reyes is an artist based in Florida who centers his Caribbean and Pakistani background as a relational point to expand on themes of colonialism, social response, and ecosystems exemplified in his work with IEA, Ma’s House, The Latinx Project, and CENTRO. Collaborating with Brown University, Alfred University, Kean University, Hunter College, UCSF, and other prestigious institutions, the intersections found in his work has allowed him to travel globally, engaging in lectures, workshops, and community events. Notable accolades include the Center for Craft’s Teaching Artist Cohort, the SFCC Grant, The Puffin Foundation, and The Joan Mitchell Foundation finalist, among others.

 A Service of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners. 

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