May 8, 2026, Athens, Greece - Join us for the opening of an art exhibition developed in partnership with
American independent curators Zindzi Harley (Philadelphia) & Evan Roosevelt Brown (Nashville),
Dia[spora] / ΔΙΑ[ΣΠΟΡΑ]: A Garden in Dialogue / ΕΝΑΣ ΚΗΠΟΣ ΣΕ ΔΙΑΛΟΓΟ showcases 19
international afrofeminist artists working in mediums ranging from painting, photography, collage, and
fiber art whose work explores the multiplicity of Black womanhood, self discovery, and identity through
the world building and womanist prose of Alice Walker.
Womanhood is a precarious and wondrous uncertainty — a seed that thrives in spite of its conditions
rooted in a patriarchal landscape and the enduring wound of modern-day colonialism, yet blooming still.
In the spirit of Alice Walker's womanist vision that each woman is capable of truly bringing another into
the world, this exhibition is a polyphony: 19 Afrofeminist artists in generous conversation, moving
towards the shape of themselves. Unfolding in the relational context of Athens, Greece, Nashville, TN,
the Athens of the south, and the cultural locations in-between, grounded in the mythology of inheritance
as an integral aspect of identity, these artists tend their own gardens, traversing migration and
movement, the sustaining architecture of family and community, the tender and turbulent landscape of
memory and mental health, all while maintaining a radical insistence of beauty. Through materiality,
genealogy, and psychology, they trace the threads of identity across the contemporary geography of
their existence, developing new modes of wayfinding — not alone, but together in shared soil.
Programming Schedule
8 May - Opening Reception - 18:00-20:00
9 May - Afrofeminist Publishing & Curation Girl Talk x Carefree Mag - Virtual
15 May - DJ Iris (@trinitypaynter) @ Gallery - 18:00-20:00
22 May - Screening of Black Women Are Resting / I Am Afro Greek - 18:00-20:00
29 May - Womanism, Artmaking & Allyship x Diversity United - 18:00-20:00
2 June - Closing Reception - 18:00-20:00
10 -12 June - 21st International Conference on the Arts in Society Presentation of Shade: Afrofeminism
Crafting Contemporary Cultural Institutions @ National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
About HeartbeatInk Gallery
HeartbeatInk Gallery is a non-profit art space founded by Ino Mei in 2016 in Athens, Greece. The art
space aims to promote contemporary artistic creation in collaboration with curatorial groups and
collectives in the visual arts, and with creators in the field of tattooing and urban art. The main focus of
the actions is to highlight contemporary and emerging artists from Greece and abroad; creators from
diverse backgrounds, whose artistic practices clash with classical forms of academic art and push the
boundaries. HeartbeatInk Gallery sets out to accentuate urban and pop culture as a more direct visual
language in order to evoke social and feminist discourse. HeartbeatInk Gallery intends to offer a safe
space to artists and enrich the Athenian art scene.
About Zindzi Harley
Zindzi Harley is an independent curator, creative director, and founder of Zindzine, an arts
publication and curatorial agency. She received her B.A. in Arts Administration with a minor in
Art History from the University of Kentucky and a M.A. in Museology from the University of
the Arts in Philadelphia where she was the first Diversity Equity and Inclusion Fellow ‘21.
Zindzi is an alumna of the first cohort of the Studio Museum in Harlem Museum Professionals
Seminar and currently a Ph.D student and David C. Driskell Fellow '24 at the Institute for
Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts, where she studies Art Theory, Aesthetics, and Philosophy.
Harley's research examines the influence of Afrofeminist epistemologies and womanist
philosophy on decoloniality in contemporary museums, explored through the interconnected
lenses of craft, creolization, and technologies of the erotic. Her work bridges critical theory and
curatorial practice, centering Black feminist thought as a transformative framework for
reimagining institutional spaces and knowledge production.
About Evan Roosevelt Brown
Evan Brown is a visionary art curator and creative director with a passion for building upon the artistic
expressions of artists. Raised in Nashville, TN since 5 years of age, Evan's upbringing in the Nashville art
community scene ignited his lifelong fascination with creativity, expression, and expansion. Evan’s
academic journey took him down a path with a degree in Economics and Finance and Master’s in
Business Administration, where he honed his critical thinking and analytical skills. After years of
developing relationships and building a sound resume in corporate work, Evan was presented the
opportunity to pursue his first passion of art and curation, where he lead as art director for Slim & Husky’s
pizza locations and headed The NKA Gallery by Slim & Husky’s as curator and director of exhibitions.
Vision and Philosophy: Evan believes that art is a powerful catalyst for societal transformation. He
envisions a world where art challenges perceptions, sparks conversations, and fuels innovation. He
philosophy centers on the idea that art should not only be aesthetically pleasing but should also provoke
thought, evoke emotion, and inspire action. He strives to create immersive experiences that transport
visitors into new realms of imagination and understanding.
Heartbeat Ink Gallery
Karori 13, Athina 105 51, Greece
On View May 8 - June 2, 2026
18:00 pm - 20:00 PM EEST