
Obama special with two sides
2017
In "Obama special with two sides" (2017), David Alekhuogie trains his lens on the material culture of everyday Black American life, presenting an archival pigment print that is as much an act of cultural archaeology as it is a formal composition. The work takes its title from the vernacular language of diners and soul food establishments, spaces that carry profound social significance within African American communities, and transforms that specificity into a meditation on identity, nostalgia, and the politics of representation. Alekhuogie's eye gravitates toward the overlooked and the ordinary, elevating ephemeral objects and environments into carefully constructed images that reward sustained attention. Measuring 101.6 × 81.3 cm, the print commands a presence that insists on the weight of its subject matter. The scale encourages viewers to linger, to move past surface recognition and into the layered meanings embedded in Alekhuogie's compositions. His practice draws on the traditions of documentary photography while simultaneously questioning them, asking whose stories are deemed worthy of archiving and on whose terms. The year 2017 is not incidental, as the work arrives at a moment of acute cultural reckoning in the United States, and the invocation of Obama in the title carries its own charged resonance, touching on themes of hope, representation, and the complicated afterlife of political symbolism. Signed by the artist and presented framed, this work is a strong acquisition for collectors drawn to contemporary photography that engages seriously with questions of race, memory, and American vernacular culture. Alekhuogie's growing critical profile, supported by institutional interest and gallery representation, positions this piece as both a culturally significant document and a durable addition to a thoughtful collection. Currently available through Assembly, the work offers an entry point into a practice that continues to attract serious scholarly and market attention.
- Medium
- Archival pigment print
- Overall
- Framed
- Signed
- Yes
- Spotted At
- Gallery · Assembly
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