January 28, 2025

Montclair State University Galleries Presents Layo Bright’s Solo Exhibition “Invasive Blooms”

Explore Themes of Migration, Feminism, and the African Diaspora in Montclair, NJ

Posted in: Arts, Press Releases, University

Bloom in hues of Blue, Green, Brown, 2024. Cast, blown, fused, mirrored glass, and 23k gold leaf on custom frame by artist Layo Bright. — Layo Bright. Bloom in hues of Blue, Green, Brown, 2024. Cast, blown, fused, mirrored glass, and 23k gold leaf on custom frame, 46 x 37 x 6 inches. Installation view from Layo Bright: Dawn and Dusk, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, 2024. (Photo courtesy of the artist. Photography by Jason Mandella.)

Montclair State University Galleries proudly announces “Invasive Blooms,” a solo exhibition by artist Layo Bright, on view from February 1 to May 4, 2025, in the Alexander Kasser Theater display cases. Bright explores themes of time, feminism, migration and the African diaspora. Her practice employs blown, fused and cast glass processes, along with textiles, wood and ceramics, to explore ideas about individual and community identity.

The exhibition features recent and new works, including the debut of an hourglass sculpture symbolizing the passage of time and “Bloom Portraits,” a collaborative project with the Montclair State University community. These works combine cast face molds with individually crafted glass flowers, chosen for their symbolic connection to migration and cultural narratives.

Exhibition Highlights

The exhibition features recent and new works, including:

The Debut of Hourglass Sculpture – A new hourglass sculpture symbolizing the passage of time.
The Debut of Bloom Portraits and Bloom Portrait Series – Bright’s Bloom series honors resilience and identity, created through intricate glass portraits of women from her community. The Series features collaborative glass portraits of women from Montclair State University’s community, celebrating resilience, migration and cultural identity. These works pair cast face molds with individually crafted glass flowers, chosen for their symbolic connection to migration and cultural narratives. For Invasive Blooms, the artist invited Montclair students, faculty and staff to share their migration stories. These stories have been incorporated into the works, making each piece a deeply personal and community-centered creation.
Gele Sculptures – Inspired by traditional West African head wraps worn by women, these works honor African and Black diasporic cultural narratives of adornment within African and Black diasporic traditions. Bright reimagines these headdresses, connecting the past to the present and celebrating the legacy of matrilineal empowerment.
Ghana Must Go Bags – In a poignant nod to migration stories, Bright incorporates the bag pattern of these woven plastic bags, once associated with the mass expulsion of West African migrants from Nigeria in the 1980s, into her works. They are featured prominently in both the glass sculptures and in her abstract paintings Horizon Line 1 & 2.

The artist’s work is rooted in creating works that encourage reflection, dialogue and a sense of shared humanity. With the Invasive Blooms Series, Bright invites viewers to engage with the beauty and complexity of migration, heritage and the stories that shape us all.

In the Artist’s Own Words

“Glass is a wonderful medium. It’s fragile, yet resilient. In the Bloom series, I aim to capture the strength of women and their stories through this material, exploring migration, beauty and cycles of life. Collaborating with the Montclair State University community has added a special layer, allowing the works to reflect personal experiences and voices in a way I’ve never done before.”

Artist Layo Bright takes a mold of junior pre-med Biology major Mabel Adeleye’s face, which she used to create a glass portrait. Below: Bright shows senior Business Administration major Ayanna Fuller the plaster mold of her face. Both students’ glass portraits will be featured in “Invasive Blooms” exhibition at University Galleries from February 1 to May 4. (Photos by Chris Cirone)

About Layo Bright

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, and based in Brooklyn, NY, Layo Bright holds an MFA from Parsons School of Design and has exhibited at prominent venues, including the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum (CT), Museum of Glass (WA), Smack Mellon (NY), Sean Kelly Gallery (NY), MICA’s Meyerhoff Gallery (MD), as well as Smack Mellon (Brooklyn, NY) and Halsey Mckay Gallery, (East Hampton, NY). Bright also holds a law degree from Babcock University in Nigeria.

The Montclair State University Galleries exhibition is curated by Director Megan C. Austin.

Programs and Events

Artist Reception

Tuesday, February 4, 5 – 7 p.m.

Alexander Kasser Theater Lobby

Meet artist Layo Bright at the opening of Montclair State University Galleries’ Spring 2025 exhibition.

Remarks by the artist and Director Megan C. Austin, 6 p.m.

Art Forum

Monday, February 10

5:20 p.m.

Calcia Hall 135

Art Forum is a speaker series featuring artists, designers, art historians, curators and art critics from around the world presenting their work and ideas in an open forum, hosted by the Department of Art & Design. Layo Bright will discuss her latest work in the exhibition Invasive Blooms.

Visit Us

Hours: Monday – Friday: 12 – 6 p.m.

All exhibitions and programs are free and open to the public.

Website: montclair.edu/galleries

Follow Us: Tag @montclairstategalleries and use #MontclairStateGalleries to join the conversation.

Support and Contact

This exhibition is made possible, in part, by funds from the McMullen Family Foundation, the College of the Arts, and private contributions.

Media Contact

E-mail: galleries@montclair.edu

Phone: 973-655-3382