Morlan Gallery

Zak Foster: SOUTHERN WHITE AMNESIA

A collection of work examining the family stories that White Americans tell and choose not to tell about their origins in this country

Jan. 12 – Feb. 27

Southern White Amnesia examines the family stories white Americans pass down through generations—or allow to be forgotten—about their role in slavery and its ongoing legacy. When Foster told a family member about discovering records showing their ancestors had enslaved people, the immediate response was “no”—followed by insistence that they would “surely know” if this were true. That moment of family denial launched this entire collection.

The work moves from confronting hard evidence in old estate documents and Civil War letters to attempting communication with ancestors through dream work and AI-animated family photographs. Rather than ending with historical revelation, the collection culminates in active repair—both literal mending of found textiles and ongoing spiritual work of ancestral accountability.

Foster commits 100% of proceeds from sales to scholarships through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, making the repair work concrete and immediate.

Associated Programming

• Gallery HOP / Reception: Jan. 16, 5-8 p.m.
• Creative Intelligence Series Lecture by Zak Foster – Feb. 12, 6 p.m