Source of All Hair, Wearer of All Socks, an exhibition by Nigerian Sri Lankan artist Sam Modder, invites viewers into a world shaped by striking, larger-than-life Black female figures in both real and imagined realms. Modder, now living in Tampa, Florida, creates powerful allegorical spaces through digitally manipulated, mural-sized ballpoint pen drawings. In her most recent series, these installations, inspired by a Black woman’s fairytale, blend childhood wonder with critical reflection, tackling themes of power, exploitation, and resilience. Black hair emerges as a central character, pushing the narrative forward with soft curls and defiant shapes, embodying resistance and strength. Modder’s speculative worlds decenter broken realities to reimagine and critique oppressive structures. As her work towers above, she invites viewers to step back into a space of childhood, wonder, and possibility—and, in the best of ways, to feel small, open, and ready to hear one more story.

This exhibition is free and open to the public during gallery hours: Wed-Sun 10am-5pm