A contemporary response to the historical motif of the still-life, Awol Erizku's studio photography is brimming with color and symbolism. Mixing references across time and space, from an African mask and a syrup bottle to a wooden incense burner and a shrink-wrapped bust of Queen Nefertiti, the cross-cultural narrative parallels Eriku's own story, connecting his origins in Africa (Ethiopia), to his life in the US (New York and Los Angeles). Complicating the 'stillness' of the still life, Erizku activates the image with life; a swirl of smoke from the incense, an extended arm holding a color-card, used in post-production color-matching. The means of production made visible.