“The Feeling Beyond Our Gaze” | North lobby
20 ft x 9.5 ft mixed media canvas mounted to a 72 ft x 13 ft hand-embellished PhotoTex
“The Feeling Beyond Our Gaze” in the North lobby entrance is a work that lives deep within the human spirit, just beyond our sight. It offers a vastness that cuts quickly into the soul. Large in scale yet intimate in feeling, it asks you to slow down and stay.
The work is made to appear as the Georgia coast. Dark, heavy clouds flank the composition, ominous at first sight, weighted and unsettling in the way a warning feels before a storm rolls over the marsh grasses. But light always breaks through to shine down on us. It is that gaze beyond the clouds, that upward beam of hope quietly breaking on the horizon, that draws us into the heavens and the universe and into our deeper selves. Into the quieter, deeper place in the human spirit. Into the calm where the soul finally settles
Michi Meko
Atlanta, GA
Michi Meko is an internationally recognized multidisciplinary artist whose work explores themes of survival, resilience, and the Black experience in America. Drawing from his personal history and Southern heritage, Meko blends painting, sculpture, and installation to examine the intersections of history, mythology, and contemporary social realities. His work often incorporates nautical symbolism, reflecting on the complexities of migration, navigation, and perseverance within Black cultural narratives. Meko’s art has been exhibited in major institutions such as the High Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Georgia (MOCA GA), the Birmingham Museum of Art, and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
His work has also reached international audiences through exhibitions and projects in France, South Africa, and the UK, expanding the global dialogue on race, memory, and identity. A recipient of prestigious awards, including the Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters & Sculptors Grant and the Artadia Award, Meko has also collaborated with brands like Nike, HBO, and Facebook, integrating his aesthetic into cultural and commercial landscapes. His work has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, Art Papers, and Hyperallergic, further solidifying his influence in contemporary art. Through his evocative visual language, Michi Meko continues to challenge perceptions and create immersive experiences that engage with history while offering visions of survival and transcendence.
Stay up-to-date on all news and events from the center