Join us for the Tranquility of Communion Closing Celebration, featuring a tour by Curator Elliott Ramsey and a talk by Moroti George.

If Beauty is the Mother of Pathology, What is Desire? - A Talk by Moroti George
Utilising the works of Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Cuban-born artist René Peña, and the late George Dureau as case studies in Black queer sexuality, representation, and homoerotic mythologies, curator Moroti George delves into the politics of desire and its historical and ongoing implications for the perception and articulation of Black masculinity and the queer embodied self. Touching on themes such as the grotesque and de-corporealize Black form, Black phallus envy and spectacle, devotional aesthetics, and the fetishisation of Blackness, disability, and vulnerability, this lecture traces how the entanglements of desire and pathology follow societal precedent and are reproduced within visual culture. It considers how beauty and desire are constructed, framed, and consumed—while also presenting possibilities for erotic freedom, self-definition, and Black queer radical refusal.

The talk will be followed by a happy hour co-presented with We The Roses Foundation. The bar will remain open, and guests are welcome to stay for a drink, listen to a custom playlist curated by We The Roses, and experience Rotimi Fani-Kayode: Tranquility of Communion, before it closes on May 25.

Tour by Elliott Ramsey at 6:30pm
Talk by Moroti George at 7:00pm
Reception at 7:30pm

Admission is by a suggested donation of $10-$20, courtesy of BMO Financial Group

RSVPs are helpful

About Moroti George
Olumoroti (Moroti) Soji-George (he/they) is a curator, writer, and educator based in Vancouver, BC. He currently serves as the Director/Curator of Gallery Gachet and the Curator at the Black Arts Centre in Surrey. His practice is rooted in exploring how Blackness is embodied, coded, and represented across visual culture and shared social landscapes. Guided by a belief in the radical possibilities of space, Moroti envisions community-centred art environments that honour lived experience and expand who is seen, heard, and valued in cultural discourse. Through curatorial research grounded in language, archival engagement, and lens-based work, his approach reflects a commitment to non-hierarchical knowledge production. He is particularly invested in the ways contemporary Black artists shape new cultural and ontological imaginaries that challenge dominant Western frameworks.

About We The Roses Foundation
We The Roses is a NYC / Vancouver based arts and culture marketing agency that helps brands harness the power of art, culture, and creativity. Their non-profit,  We The Roses Foundation, connects the global community of Black creatives through symposiums, salon-style gatherings, and artist residencies. They are proud to be the first Black owned and operated artist residency in Western Canada.

Image: René Peña, Untitled, 1996. Courtesy of Lucie Garcia Gallery.