It’s Not About Me (But I’m All Up In It)

The upcoming exhibition It’s Not About Me ( But I’m All Up In It) presents the dual journey of JOLINOIRE + electrikbaby ( Malika Deshon) as both muse and maker, tracing the evolution from model in front of the camera to photographer behind it. Opening at 16 Jackson Street on October 11, 2025 , the exhibition features a compelling blend of her own photographic works alongside selected pieces created in collaboration with other artists.

It’s Not About Me…explores the paradox of authorship, presence, and artistic agency. As a model, Malika entered a collaborative dance with artists, offering gestures and expressions with the intent that the image would capture more than appearance—it would carry meaning. Even while embodying another’s vision, she moved on her own terms, asserting creative authorship through performance.

Now, as photographer, she brings that same intentionality to her own images—this time guiding the frame, shaping light, and crafting narrative. Yet the exhibition does not mark a departure from her past role, but rather a continuum: her images are presented alongside works from artists she has collaborated with, acknowledging the reverence she holds for their vision and the creative space they offered her. The exhibition takes on a journal-like form, echoing her process—intimate, fragmented, and deeply personal. Each piece becomes a dialogue between subject and creator, between presence and absence, between the seen and the unseen.

This work honors the paradox of being both subject and author, muse and maker. It celebrates not only my voice but also the artists whose visions I’ve helped bring to life, and how those collaborations shaped my own creative practice.

Exhibition Details • Title: It’s Not About Me (But I’m All Up In It) • Artist: Sean Cokes, Malika DeShon, Alan KIMARA Dixon, Maurice Evans, Grace Kisa, Merrill Robinson, Kevin Williams • Venue: 16 Jackson Street, Atlanta • Opening Reception:October 11, 2025, 7-11 p.m. (featuring DJ set by Kai Alce) • On View: October 2025 • Admission: Free w/ RSVP

Attire is Festive.

And by the way.... IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!