Thank Gods For Art

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• Richard Ross
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media
• Accidents and Disasters

Maybe Dallas artist Richard Ross should be careful when he invokes the name of African gods in his works. Those gods can get a little touchy. Ross' current show at the Magnolia Theatre in the West Village, Falling From the Mouth of Nyami, features eight paintings based on an African creation myth. It's all about chance and fate and creativity, he says. But who's Nyami? He's a spirit of the Zambezi River. The Tonga people believe Nyami became angry when white folk built the Kariba dam in Zimbabwe, separating him from his wife. The dam's construction was hit by floods, and workers were dying until tribal elders asked Nyami to chill. Since then, Lake Kariba has separated Nyami from his wife, making for one horny, lonely and testy god. Maybe he can pick up chicks at the exhibit of Ross' works, which continues through January 25 at the theater, 3699 McKinney Ave. Call 214-764-9106.
Dec. 22-Jan. 25