After reading about Japanese youth emulating American hip-hop culture, painter Iona Rozeal Brown became fascinated with the subject. Kids who were neither African nor American had created their own version of hip-hop through their clothing and even occasionally darkening their skin. Brown appropriates the Japanese style of woodblock printing known as ukiyo-e and paints a juxtaposition of cultures. Her large acrylic work in All Falls Down combines the formal style of the printmaking technique with paint. She incorporates images of stiletto heels, halter tops, big speakers, boom boxes and sometimes blackface to her pieces. Brown talks about her work at 6 p.m., before All Falls Down opens with a reception from 7-10 p.m. The show continues through May 9 at
MOCA Cleveland (8501 Carnegie Ave., 216.421.8671). Admission is free. —
Michael Gill
