Na’Ye Perez: Teaching to Transgress

Kasser Theater Lobby
September 17 – December 15, 2024

�ċ”As a classroom community, our capacity to generate excitement is deeply affected by our interest
in one another, in hearing one another’s voices, in recognizing one another’s presence.” – bell hooks

Teaching to Transgress, featuring the artwork of Na’Ye Perez, explores themes of community, presence, shared experiences, identity, and accessibility. Perez’s antidisciplinary practice spans painting, drawing, printmaking, performance, and socially engaged art, transcending traditional academic boundaries to present innovative frameworks and methods.

Central to Perez’s work is the concept of the “Black Presence,” which is intricately tied to community, experiences, objects and materials left behind, memory, and the embodiment of collective will. His art is a reflection of his personal journey through various communities, including New York, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Columbus, OH; Camden, NJ; and other places, each contributing unique attributes to his work.

This series tells stories of grief, joy, belonging and community through imagery and socially engaged practice. Perez’s work often uses day to day activities and objects to serve as catalysts for visceral experiences of the “Black Presence.”

The exhibition title draws inspiration from bell hooks’ Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom, a text that brings practical knowledge of the classroom alongside emotions and personal expression. Visitors are invited to engage with Perez’s work through our community classroom on the ��.��

Nou Se Lanmè (We Are The Sea) features writing by Na’Ye Perez and was published in conjunction with the exhibition. The zine was designed by University Galleries’ students Chanel Williamson ’25 and Maral Tutunjian ’26 in collaboration with the artist.

Double Dutch & Card Table Convos with Artist Na’Ye Perez

Join exhibiting artist Na’Ye Perez in a game of cards or double dutch as part of his social engagement-based performance pieces Mama Said (There Be Days Like This) and Card Table Convos. These interactive activities reimagine how museum and gallery spaces function by centering the community and accessibility to the arts.
Co-sponsored by Campus Recreation and the Office for Social Justice & Diversity.

Teaching to Transgress: A Panel Discussion

This discussion will expand upon the themes of the University Galleries’ Fall 2024 exhibition Na’Ye Perez: Teaching to Transgress. The panel features exhibiting artist Na’Ye Perez in conversation with Montclair faculty, including Julian Brash, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director of Urban Humanities Program; Dr. Bree Picower, Professor of Teaching and Learning; and Dr. Tanya Maloney, Associate Professor of Teaching and Learning. Dr. Picower and Dr. Maloney are Co-Directors of the Transformative Education Network (TEN), which consists of the Urban Teacher Residency, Newark Teacher Project, and the Critical Urban Education Speaker Series. Moderated by Ayanna Jones ’25 and Joyce Kouami ’26.

Artist Reception

Meet the artist at the opening reception of Na’Ye Perez: Teaching to Transgress in the Alexander Kasser Theater lobby.
Remarks by the artist Na’Ye Perez and Director Megan C. Austin at 6 p.m

Download our free digital guide on , the free arts and culture app created by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Hear insights from the curator and artist, and explore responses from students, faculty, and community members through audio, photo and video features.

Portrait of artist Na'ye Perez wearing a black hoodie and jeans, with his arms crossed and leaning against a brown, distressed column.

Na’Ye Perez (b. 1992) is a Haitian-Cuban artist who lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. His work has been exhibited at the Community Folk Art Center at Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY); RegularNormal Gallery (New York, NY); 129 Studio Gallery (Columbus, OH); Residency Gallery (Los Angeles, CA); Welancora Gallery (Brooklyn, NY). He has been an artist in residence at The Shed’s DIS OBEY (Queens, NY); New Wave (West Palm Beach, FL); and Pratt>FORWARD (New York, NY). Perez holds a BFA from the University of Toledo in Ohio and an MFA from Pratt Institute in New York.

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