Xela Institute of Art is delighted to announce Repatriate, the first solo museum exhibition by Los Angeles based artist, Elijah Ford. Ford's exhibition provides a fantastical discourse approach to a serious humanitarian issue regarding the displacement of hundreds of natives in the Chagos Island. The U.S and U.K secretly planned the mass deportation of the native Chagos, known as Ilois, in order to build a U.S military base on the island. The Ilois are descended from enslaved peoples originating from Africa and Madagascar. Ford's lineage includes distant Malagasy ancestry, connecting them to the heritage of Madagascar. Ford's Repatriate features several paintings and a sculpture piece that depicts the connection between dogs and humans with an extraterrestrial approach. Ford creates an alternate reality where the aliens have witnessed the injustices of the displacement of groups and the removal of their histories for the sake to benefit the world's superpowers. As an attempt to empathize with the losses, the aliens give their alien dogs to the displaced groups. Although the alien dogs cannot acclaim full reparations of what was lost, they provide a fantastical hope of a rhizomatic development of empathy amongst one another. It explores the connection between human and alien dogs- although different- an effort to understand one another as an act of care. Ford’s fantastical world serves as a sci-fi alteration of reparations for the loss of traditions, homes, families, sense of security and the displacement of natives. Ford yearns to provide hope for his ancestors and those affected by displacement forced upon by power-centric countries. About the Artist Ford is a California-born artist who embraces the juxtaposition of fantasy and reality through a range of characters, creatures, figurations, and compositions in his paintings. He utilizes historical art tropes with contemporary imagery to bring his imaginations to life. About Xela Institute of Art Xela Institute of Art is a nonprofit art exhibition space located in Wrigley Village, Long Beach, dedicated to showcasing the vibrant talents of both emerging and established artists. Xela Institute of Art viewings are by appointment only, if you’d like to schedule one- email info@xela.art Address of Xela Institute of Art: 2176 Pacific Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90806