Rashaad Newsome:
To Be Real

For Rashaad Newsome: To Be Real at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, the exhibition graphics translated the diverse influences in Newsome’s work—including ballroom culture, haute couture, and African art—into a visual identity that reflected themes of race, sexuality, gender, and performance.

The identity responded to the gallery’s towering 20-foot walls through vertical compositions and ornamental patterns drawn from the installation. At the entrance, visitors were greeted by a facade that beckoned them inside, where the door graphics projected patterns under their feet, setting the stage for the installation’s immersive, multi-perspective visual feast.