Oakland-based mixed media artist Demetri Broxton is one of five artists in The Museum of African Diaspora's Emerging Artists Program 2026-27 cohort. Selected from hundreds of applicants, each artist in the cohort will present solo exhibitions at MoAD from spring 2026 through early 2027.
Broxton's practice explores ancestry, protection, and cultural memory. Using beads, sequins, cowrie shells, and materials rooted in his Louisiana Creole and Filipino heritage, he creates meticulously embellished objects that function as contemporary talismans, honoring the beauty, complexity, and endurance of Black and diasporic cultures. In addition to his art practice, Broxton serves as the Executive Director of San Francisco visual arts non-profit Root Division.
Broxton’s beaded and sequined works are often grounded in photographic images of his ancestors and those of his community, drawn from both personal and public archives. “By transporting their likenesses into beaded, futuristic forms,” the artist explains, “I imagine them thriving in the world they deserved—a world where their hopes are realized.” This temporal reimagination situates Broxton’ work within Afrofuturism, using craft to collapse past and future into a liberated present. “I create objects that ask viewers to consider the histories we carry, the protection we seek, and the futures we imagine.”
The Emerging Artists Program reflects MoAD’s commitment to supporting, exhibiting, and amplifying the work of Black artists living and working in the Bay Area. As a leading contemporary art museum focused on the global African Diaspora, MoAD is proud to incubate innovative practices and foster long-term artistic growth.
