MAG Galleries is pleased to be participating in the SFAW with the exhibition, AfroFuture Past, works by Rhiannon Evans MacFadyen.  The exhibition opens January 02, 2026 from 5pm to 9pm in coordination with The Castro ArtWalk.  MAG Galleries will kick off the San Francisco Art Week on January 7th,  with the panel discussion, Working with Ancestors from 3pm to 4pm.  (see below for details)

Evans MacFadyen’s ongoing series, AfroFuture Past is an exploration of imagined histories of American Black Woman through the examination and exploitation of new and old technologies, integrated with ancestral mediums and methodologies. AfroFuture Past is a multi-disciplinary series which takes the form of prints, collage, sculpture, performance, installation, and ritual.

Artificial Intelligence is central to Evans MacFadyen’s work, raising questions about the role of new technologies in the visual arts. She utilizes AI to generate powerful portraits of imagined Black American women who engage the viewer while claiming a space in the future grounded in the past. The subjects’ attire and objects are rooted in African diasporic cultures.

Images from the AfroFuture Past, Digital collage (AI/MidJourney, Photoshop), archival pigment ink on 100% cotton Hahnemühle 308 gsm metallic photo rag.

Queen Albatross with Smoke, Digital collage (AI/MidJourney, Photoshop), archival pigment ink on 100% cotton Hahnemühle 308 gsm metallic photo rag.

The role of AI in these works is offset by the inclusion of altars to the ancestors. These installations celebrate ancestors and incorporate hair, wool, photographs, resist-dyed textiles, and other objects of spiritual significance.

Events Associated with AfroFuture Past:

January 10 - Artist Workshop: DIY mini pocket altars, 1 - 2pm for all ages.
January 17 - Working with Ancestors: A panel discussion with speakers Afatashi the Artist, Demetri Broxton, Rhiannon Evans MacFadyen, 3 - 4pm. (see below for details)
February 01 - Closing Reception, 3-5pm.

Altar for the Ancestors, mixed media