This Is Not A Coup

“Artist Erika NJ Allen's work explores the political meanings behind fruits that seem delicious and innocuous. Here, she shows bananas extending from a glass pedestal. They are not lying on their side, silently cuddling one another. Rather, they shoot straight up, threatening to bite back and refusing to sit politely for consumers. Below them are green serpentine bananas that coil around the glass stand like snakes. Erika rejects the idea that fruit and its representation is something to merely satisfy one's appetite or decorate one's dining room. Wars have been fought over this fruit to satisfy imperial appetites.

I was so happy to be a part of Erika's exhibition opening at the @welcomeprojectcincinnati Brava, Erika!”

Shana Klein - The Fruits of Empire: Art, Food, and the Politics of Race in the Age of American Expansion.

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This sculpture was the centerpiece of my solo exhibition and fellowship at Wave Pool Contemporary Art Center. It was modeled after Chiquita Banana's cookbook, published by the United Fruit Company on January 1st, 1970. The sculpture serves as a commentary on the various ways in which the United Fruit Company influenced, civilized, and introduced bananas into American kitchens and culture.

Additionally, the photograph of this sculpture was featured, printed as a poster, and used as a representative image in brochures for the exhibition 'Luis Camnitzer: Monuments to Unknown Heroes' at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, OH, in 2023.

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Ceramics, Banquet Medallion Sunburst Banana Boat EAPG 1960’s, glazes, underglazes, gold lustre - 2022