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Taravaggio

@mstarafay

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Mama/Curator/Artist/Writer/Don Dada dealing in multitudes.
Buffalo, NY raised
All views and opinions are my own

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Woman in a Chair, 2026

Chair, digital photographic print, matteboard text panel

This work stages my body as an object to be classified and recorded. It structurally references Joseph Kosuth’s One and Three Chairs (1965), replacing the neutral object with my own body and collapsing object, image, and language into a single photographic field. Where Kosuth uses analytic distance to question how meaning is produced, this work asks what happens when that same structure is applied to a person, specifically a Black woman. Framing my body as an object becomes a way to assert control over how I am seen, refusing interpretation while remaining fully present. by @mstarafay

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9 months ago

Reflecting on all the love and support for Pageant Queen, my most personal body of work to date. This show explores the complexities of identity, a concept that has shaped me and my practice in so many ways. I’m so grateful to everyone who came to see it, shared their thoughts, liked, or spread the word. Having the opportunity to not only create, but write extensively about this work, allowed me to connect with it on a deeper level. Thank you so much for everything @bottom.feeder.books! The show is up until January 25th ✨ by @mstarafay

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

New performance piece November 1st @oneofonepgh

Very excited to debut new work for the first time in a long time 👓💻👩🏻‍💼🎉 by @mstarafay

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2 days ago

Yes I hollowed out my heart with a spoon and a knife taken in Hotel Chelsea by @mstarafay

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15 days ago

Today on TCI 🌀 Curator Larry Ossei-Mensah (@larryosseimensah), the co-founder of ARTNOIR (@artnoirco), speaks with artist, independent curator, writer, and cultural worker Tara Fay Coleman (@mstarafay) about what it means to be a curator, how goals change over time, and why being curious is foundational to everything we do. 🍃

Slide 1: “The thing that has stayed consistent in my practice is being curious.”

Slide 2: “Part of this exercise is continuing to find the things that feed you mentally, physically, spiritually, intellectually, socially.”

Slide 3: “At the end of the day, being curious is foundational. Obviously, being passionate, being hungry, and being humble are all consistent variables that have guided me not only in my career, but in my day-to-day life.”

Slide 4: “Success means being challenged to grow and evolve, not only professionally but personally.”

Slide 5: “Success for me is leaving a mark on society in a positive way. I think success is also working on your own terms, being able to define the parameters within which you work.”

Slide 6: “My hope is that that definition [of success] continues to evolve as I evolve and grow and continue on this journey called life... Redefining success is something that’s a continual exercise. It’s about checking in on yourself.”

Slide 7: “I operate from the premise of always trying to maintain being a student, always being in a posture of learning.”

Slide 8: “We all have so much happening in our lives day to day, but I think it’s necessary to constantly recalibrate and evaluate where you are in your journey.”

Slide 9: “At the end of the day, the only limit in this life is your imagination. So much is possible if you are focused, imaginative, driven, disciplined. It’s not going to be spoon-fed to you.”

Slide 10: “I’m a believer that true success, however that’s defined, is earned. So the question is: How are you going to earn your success?” by @mstarafay

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19 days ago

👸🏽 by @mstarafay

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19 days ago

Moments by @mstarafay

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a month ago

🖤✔️⚫️🎬▪️ by @mstarafay

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a month ago

And you wish you had it still - Heaven inside you by @mstarafay

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2 months ago

Our beloved exhibition GLORY, co-curated by cohort 07 curatorial fellows @juanitasunday_ and @mstarafay is coming to a close on August 30. Come celebrate this incredible run with us on Sat, August 29, 2-8pm at our upcoming block party!!!

Enormous thank you to all exhibiting artists for captivating our spirits: @faustinadeniran @akeabrionne @patrickeugeneart @chrisfriday.art @tylersphotos @woodyothello William Rhodes @b.sterling__ @jomotariku @_xst @vantablack305

And much gratitude for all of you who’ve come to witness the work and experience the vibe.

Photos by @_giomarie courtesy of @juanitasunday_ taken in NXTHVN by @mstarafay

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2 months ago

by @mstarafay

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2 months ago