Image: Tremaine Emory, vintage Levi’s that inspired Denim Tears. Courtesy of the artist
The SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia, is presenting "Denim Tears from the Pool of Black Genius," a retrospective look at the practice of the designer Tremaine Emory, on view through Monday, January 11, 2027. The exhibition is organized by the museum's chief curator, Daniel S. Palmer.
Emory founded Denim Tears in 2019. He describes the label as "African American sportswear," and each collection is designed to tell a story about another aspect of the African diaspora, engaging with the country's difficult history and shared cultural heritage. The exhibition brings together highlights of his output and his many collaborations, presenting fashion as a form of conceptual art.
The "Pool of Black Genius" of the title refers to the influences that run through Emory's work. Pieces by Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, Alma Thomas, Faith Ringgold and others from the museum's permanent collection appear alongside a large selection of contemporary works by his collaborators and by artists he is in conversation with, among them Arthur Jafa, Hank Willis Thomas and David Hammons. The full list of featured names also includes Virgil Abloh, Benny Andrews, Beauford Delaney, Aaron Douglas, Sam Gilliam, Lauren Halsey, Deana Lawson, Norman Lewis, Kara Walker, Andy Warhol and Charles White.
Born in Atlanta in 1981 and raised in Jamaica, Queens, Emory uses visual storytelling and clothing to move between fashion, music and culture while drawing attention to questions of national and global history. He co-founded the creative platform No Vacancy Inn with Ade "Acyde" Odunlami and Brock Korsan. His circle of collaborators has included Theaster Gates, Frank Ocean, André 3000 and Serge Becker.
As part of the programme, the museum's Walter and Linda Evans Center for African American Studies named Emory its 2026 Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Lecturer, with a talk alongside Acyde scheduled for September 28.
The museum is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., and is closed on Tuesdays. Other current exhibitions include Nengi Omuku's "There We Sat Down," also on view through January 11, 2027, and Andrew Kuo's "Attachments," through January 1, 2027.
