ELSEWHERE
Elsewhere emerged from a deeply personal place. After her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and a period of recovery from brain surgery, Karina began envisioning a sanctuary—a moss-covered landscape illuminated by the beam of a single headlamp in surrounding darkness. These visions became the foundation for this exhibition. The gallery was transformed into a living environment: mossy mounds, luminous clay and paper light sculptures, layered aromas curated by Kindred Black, immersive soundscapes, and live movement and dance performances woven throughout the show.
Karina Sharif came to paper through fashion. After years of sewing and styling, she started working with paper as sculpture—wearable and non-wearable forms that focus on the Black femme experience, rooted in themes of rest, adornment, and care. Her practice has since expanded into ceramic and steel, but paper remains her core language: fragile yet resilient, easily transformed, and a metaphor for the beauty of the diaspora. Elsewhere celebrates Black femme-hood, rest, and resilience—posing the gallery itself as a space for healing, with community care as a radical act
Scent by Kindred Black. Movement direction by Eryn Danielle. Performance by Ashley Kaylynn Green. Photography by Kristina Shakht. January 23 – March 2, 2025, Lyle Gallery.
Karina Sharif
Karina Sharif is a multidisciplinary paper artist whose work honors the Black femme, woman, trans, gender-expansive, and non-binary diaspora by exploring the dual nature of paper—both a powerful medium for preservation and storytelling, and a commodified material reflecting the often invisible yet essential labors of Black femmes. Her practice invites viewers to engage with paper as a metaphor for the reverence and care Black femmes deserve.
Rooted in themes of rest, restitution, and community, Sharif’s work celebrates her subjects as divine and protected. A recurring motif is the “petal,” rendered in paper and stoneware, referencing the “kitchen” — the coiled hair at the nape of the neck. These petals envelop her subjects in armor: an emblem of rebellion and self-love.
Sharif draws inspiration from Anyanwu, the shapeshifting healer in Octavia Butler’s Wild Seed, whose transformative powers reflect the brilliance and adaptability of the diaspora.
Portrait by Kristina Shakht
