Art In the Open: Adnan Razvi and Taylor Cleveland, MAWIMBI (WAVES)
MAWIMBI is a visual series by artists Adnan Razvi and Taylor Cleveland featuring two nights of projections of large-scale moving blue and water-themed abstract glitches onto the built structures of Confluence Park.
Adnan Razvi travels across the country, visiting various bodies of water to paint on linen canvases. His process involves direct interaction with the waterways and natural environments, where he layers and builds the artwork by using elements like sediment from the water and earth. This creates a textured representation of the water on the canvas. This series evolves in a collaboration with Taylor Cleveland, incorporating motion and real-time digital projections, bringing the artwork to life through dynamic visuals.
Adnan Razvi (b. 1987, Chicago) is a Ugandan Pakistani American, Texas‐based multidisciplinary artist exploring themes related to identity, futurism, ecology & water, migration, displacement, and joy.
Over the past decade Adnan was a highlighted artist in a group exhibition titled “American Painting Now” curated by Erin Joyce. Adnan was a featured artist in a group exhibition titled “ZARAFA UNFOLDING” at SP/N Gallery. In 2022, Adnan had his first solo exhibition, FLORAL FUTURISM, at CAED Galleries in Dallas, TX. In 2022, he was selected to exhibit at ART214, at the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas, TX. Adnan was then a part of a group exhibition ‘Looking at Us: Examining Institutional Critique’ in Idyllwild, California. Adnan was nominated by Daisha Board Gallery to exhibit at the “Rising Star Exhibition and Fundraiser Reception”. Adnan was also a featured artist in a fundraiser group show with the “Savan Collective” at Prime Produce, in NY. In 2023, Adnan opened his solo exhibition, “MAWIMBI” at Charles Adams Gallery in Lubbock Texas, receiving a ‘Top 5 exhibitions in Texas’ rating for the month of July, 2023. In 2024, Adnan was invited to be a featured artist for a group exhibition titled “Blurred Lines”, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, in Abu Dhabi. Adnan had an exhibition showcasing “MAWIMBI” at PX.LAB in Dallas, Texas. The series was recently showcased at The eArthspace in London, UK. The series is to be featured at the Chong Institute for Contemporary Art (CICA) in South Korea. His physical iterations and AI/motion collaborative pieces are slated for exhibition at the Sun Valley Museum of Art in Ketchum, Idaho in the summer of 2025. Adnan graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a focus on Historical Studies and Studio Art/Painting. He currently resides and has a private studio in Dallas, TX.
Taylor Cleveland (b.1992, Dallas) is a Texas-based artist driven by a fascination with technologic systems that shape realities—from AI, digital media, and the internet, to social technologies like culture, language, and politics. Having received his BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he is currently developing his MFA thesis, ‘Aesthetics of Real,’ at Southern Methodist University. His work has been recognized internationally through various exhibitions and collaborations including the AI/motion pieces featured in Adnan Razvi’s, international “MAWIMBI” series, being a featured artist for Meow Wolf, and having been published in the Nasher Sculpture Center magazine. Cleveland’s most recent exhibition, Water Wars: Ro2, at Ro2 gallery in Dallas, Texas was featured in Glasstire’s “Top 5 in Texas” during July. Taylor has also worked for commercial clients including Disney, American Express, & Paramount Studios, and has won various marketing awards for this work, including Webby, Clio, and Shorty Awards.