Style Wars by Ghanaian artist Bright Obeng, 2024.
A non-profit organization in Cincinnati, DSGN Cllctv is dedicated to, “empowering marginalized and at-risk communities by offering a safe and inclusive platform for creative expression,” said Julia Green, DSGN Cllctv’s CEO.
Green, a UC alum, achieved her master's degree in 2017 while working as an adjunct professor. Her obligations as the DSGN Cllctv CEO include hosting events, maintaining the multi-purpose creative space, and handling logistics like public relations and transportation on behalf of the featured artists.
“The reason why we're called DSGN is because that's how the DAAP program titles their classes,” Green added while discussing her time at UC. “If anyone from the university ever wants to come do a Co-Op and help me facilitate the ins and outs of putting on a show, you are welcome to reach out.”
Deadly Prey Gallery
On April 16 at 6 p.m., DSGN Cllctv plans to host a group called Deadly Prey. Originally from Ghana, West Africa, the group specializes in hand-painted movie posters. The group features work from ten artists living and working in Accra, Ghana.
The Deadly Prey group has been active for 30 years, originating from Ghana’s mobile cinema movement, where video club entrepreneurs screened films in rural areas using portable equipment and marketing with oversized posters.
The DSGN Cllctv team came across this artist when they noticed a Deadly Prey poster in a window of the Torn Light record shop, which is now the Feel It Record Shop located in Clifton, “What's cool about them is that they only use the resources that they can get their hands on which are limited in the eras that they live,” Green said.
Green's intent to incorporate her background in education is reflected in this exhibit, “It's not just art, music, media, it’s also global studies, sociology and economics.”
The CVLT OF DOOM gallery
On April 26 at 5 p.m., DSGN Cllctv plans to host Chris Breeden and L’amour Supreme for the exclusive “THE CVLT OF DOOM” showcase.
On April 1, Chris Breedon created a post on Instagram announcing the exhibit. First teased by Breeden in an April 1 Instagram post, the show promises, “A fanart show like no other, celebrating the allure of masks, cult icons, and antiheroes. With 50+ visionary artists! LIVE DJs! New murals and more!”
Dreamed up by Supreme and brought to life by Breeden, the exhibition explores the cultural, symbolic, and visual power of the mask. With over 50 contributing artists, the show pays tribute to legendary figures like MF DOOM and Dr. Doom, while also branching into themes of hip-hop, comics, villainy, and the irresistible pull of the antihero.
In addition to the art, attendees can look forward to L’amour Supreme’s first mural in Cincinnati—his first since the iconic “Ma Jolie” mural created for BLINK in 2022.
According to Green, the event will feature Supreme’s first Cincinnati Mural, following the famous “Ma Jolie” mural he created for BLINK in 2022.
