PURCHASE TICKETS

SATURDAY | FEBRUARY 1
6 – 9 PM | NORMA KERSHAW AUDITORIUM | AFTER HOURS

Discover the visionary artist behind the iconic album art for some of Detroit’s most prolific electronic musicians. For over three decades, AbuQadim Haqq has shaped the visual identity of Afrofuturism, creating artwork for legendary acts like Drexciya, Underground Resistance, and Jeff Mills. His graphic novel, The Book of Drexciya, is a key feature of Bowers Museum’s special exhibition, Fantasy: Realms of Imagination.

Join Haqq and Dr. Jalondra A. Davis of UC Riverside for an engaging conversation about Afrofuturist aquatic mythology and worldbuilding after a screening of Afrofuturism and the Myth of Drexciya. Explore the exhibition and immerse yourself in the sounds of electro music as Neptunian Influence presents a Drexciya listening party including Neptune’s Lair played on vinyl in its entirety. 

Ticketed Onsite Event: 

Artist Conversation + Fantasy Exhibition: Members $25 | General $40

Artist Conversation: Members $15 | General $20 PURCHASE TICKETS

Questions? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 714.567.3677. Proceeds benefit Bowers Museum Education Programs. Tickets are non-refundable.

Image credit: The Book of Drexciya, graphic novel by Abdul Qadim Haqq and Dai Satō © The Drexciyan Empire LLC

ABOUT

The Book of Drexciya: The story of Drexciya has always been inextricably linked to dense, vivid worldbuilding. Now, with Abdul Qadim Haqq’s The Book Of Drexciya, the seminal Detroit group’s Afrofuturist mythology is brought to life in a stunning graphic novel. The tale is told here of the first Drexciyan who, born underwater to a mother thrown from a slave ship, rises to become the first king of this subaquatic empire. Haqq, who has done more than perhaps any other in creating the visual aesthetic of Detroit dance music, is the perfect artist to tackle this tale, and further writing comes from Dai Sato (Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell).

Dr. Jalondra A. Davis: Dr. Jalondra A. Davis is a Black feminist creative-intellectual currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at University of California, Riverside. She has published on speculative fiction and culture in the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, Science Fiction Studies, Shima Journal, the Museum of Science Fiction Journal of Science Fiction, and anthologies including the Routledge Anthology of Co-Futurisms, Misrepresentations of Black Womanhood, and the Politics of Ugliness. Her monograph in progress, Merfolk and Black Being in Water analyzes the historically-specific worldbuilding of Black literature, art, and performance featuring human-aquatic hybrids, with a focus on how such narratives interrogate Western modernity, humanism, and the Anthropocene. Known in the mermaiding community as Mami Melusine, she hosts the Merwomanist Podcast, a weekly show about Black mermaids, fantasy, and aquatic culture. 

Neptunian Influence: Neptunian Influence is a Long Beach-based electro mix & event series inspired by the music of Drexciya.