Adia Millett - Power Unearthed

Adia Millett's _Power Unearthed_, her third solo exhibition with gdm, examines how power navigates through the earth, the body, the spirit, and our creative connection with each other. Her paintings, textiles, and installations expose systems of exploitation while reclaiming visibility for women, Black communities, and marginalized voices. At the core of this body of work is the recognition that all life moves in cycles: the extraction of power and resources cannot be one‑sided. What is taken from the earth will return, and societies must face the consequences of our own consumption. The works speak directly. _Earth's Currency_ reveals hidden economies of cobalt, copper, platinum, gold and other rare earths materials. _Canary Mountain_ recalls the coal mine canary sent into coal mines, as a symbol of human sacrifice within the labor forces throughout the world. _Refugee_ and _Your Blood is My Blood_ pays homage to the connection between the oppressor and the oppressed. _Fire Power_ confronts energy as a weapon and resource. _Window Between Time_ and _Above and Below_ open portals where collapse and renewal coexist. In these two pieces Millett connects the past with the future by integrating old quilts with newer repurposed fabrics. Millett paints on wood panels, a material that carries both durability and fragility, underscoring her exploration of impermanence in everyday structures. Her palette is saturated and radiant, aligned with African American traditions, where color asserts visibility and resilience. Glitter evokes movement and plays within the weighted conversation of control. In nearly all her work, layers of paint or fabric are overlapped, suggesting the transitions and inevitable changes that occur in our environments. In one painting, dollar bills form the base beneath a futuristic landscape, a sharp gesture revealing economies built on concealed human cost.