InsiderOutsider: Joshua Obawole Allen

Our second InsiderOutsider program in collaboration with Ma's House features Stones of Belonging, a participatory land art workshop and meditative experience led by artist Joshua Obawole Allen. Following a brief introductory conversation with the artist, visitors are invited to gather stones from the surrounding landscape or select from a provided collection, and adorn them with colors, symbols, or patterns that reflect their personal histories, cultural heritage, or sense of belonging.

Participants then contribute their stones to a growing collective sculpture formed on the ground, It can take a spiral, line, or circular arrangement that evolves naturally throughout the session. The work unfolds as a drop-in experience, allowing visitors to engage at their own pace while contributing to a shared visual form.

Rooted in themes of memory, ancestry, and migration, Stones of Belonging creates a gentle space for reflection on the journeys that shape who we are and how we come into shared space with others. Using simple, natural materials, the program invites participants to consider artmaking as both a personal and collective act of meaning-making.

Joshua Obawole Allen is a multidisciplinary artist based in New York City whose work explores memory, identity, and belonging through performance, portraiture, and installation. Their practice often incorporates durational and participatory elements, using materials such as beads, water, and natural objects to examine how histories are carried within the body and across generations.

Allen has presented work at institutions including the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, the Watermill Center, Fashion Institute of Technology's Art & Design Center, AM:PM Gallery, the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporic Arts (MoCADA) and NYU's Center for Black Visual Culture and has participated in residencies at Ma’s House, the Brooklyn Museum, and Silver Art Projects. Their work has been featured in Dazed Magazine, Elephant Magazine and the For Freedoms monograph published by Phaidon Press. Allen is currently the 2025–2026 Bayard Rustin Artist-in-Residence at Penington Friends House.

InsiderOutsider: New Voices in the Art World is a dynamic series spotlighting underrepresented artists who challenge convention, expand the boundaries of contemporary art, and invite deeper dialogue. It is presented in collaboration with Jeremy Dennis and the artists-in-residence of Ma’s House, a center for Indigenous and BIPOC artists. Together, we explore the creative practices and personal narratives shaping today’s evolving art landscape through conversation and hands-on creativity. 

Made possible with public funding provided by Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning, with the support of County Legislator Ann Welker, and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional funding for this program comes from Vital Projects Fund.

ACCESSIBILITY

LongHouse Reserve has an Accessibility Coordinator onsite to help assist guests with disabilities. To request accommodations, or with any questions or concerns, please contact our Accessibility Coordinator via email access@longhouse.org, or phone at +1 (631) 329-3568. Please allow for up to seven business days for a response.