David Huffman: Afro Hippie
August 14 – October 16, 2021
The first time DAVID HUFFMAN carried a protest sign, he was five years old. Born and raised in Berkeley in the late 1960s and ‘70s, he was heavily influenced by his mother’s social and political activism — especially her work for the Black Panthers, which included designing the iconic Free Huey flag. On the occasion of BAC’s first solo exhibition in six years, we invited arts writer ESSENCE HARDEN to connect with Huffman to discuss the ideas behind his work, including notions of family, the possibilities within abstraction, and Black spatial matters.
Generous support for this exhibition is provided by the City of Berkeley, East Bay Community Foundation/East Bay Fund for Artists, and Dennis Markham & Modesto Covarrubias. Special thanks to Local Language and Blow Up Lab.
‘Afro Hippie’ in the News
How Berkeley’s Countercultural Movement Shaped Artist David Huffman, Hyperallergic
Pyramids to Panthers, ‘Afro Hippie’ tracks Black Power through time and space, 48 Hills
Pure Forms: David Huffman honors his mother in Berkeley Art Center exhibit, East Bay Express
David Huffman @ Berkeley Art Center, Squarecylinder
The Do List: A Countercultural Upbringing (and Pyramids) Power David Huffman’s ‘Afro Hippie,’ KQED Arts
Artist David Huffman’s new show pays tribute to his activist mother, Berkeleyside
Artist Bio
Exhibition installation view. Photo by Felix Quintana.
David Huffman, Cosmic Pyramid, 2021, foil, wood, African textiles, video projection with sound, ceramic dish, organic egg, 10 ft. x 12 ft. x 12 ft. Photo by Felix Quintana.
Dolores Davis, Free Huey Banner, 1968/2021, pigment print on canvas, 84 in. x 94 in. Printed by Local Language. Photo by Felix Quintana.
David Huffman, Cosmic Soul Buddha, 2021 (left) and Untitled, 2015 (right), installation view. Photo by Felix Quintana.
David Huffman, This Season’s People, 2021 (left) and Huey, 2009 (right), installation view. Photo by Felix Quintana.
David Huffman, Psychic Portraits, 2008–09, installation view. Photo by Felix Quintana.
Photo of the artist’s mother, 1967 (left) and pyramid studies (right), installation view. Photo by Felix Quintana.
Photos of Huffman as a young martial artist (left) and with his siblings and Bobby Seale in Provo Park, Berkeley (right). Printed by Blow Up Lab.
Artifacts from the artist’s personal archive. Photo by Felix Quintana.