Gallery Art Show
Laylah Amatullah Barrayn: A Grandassa Sunday
Essex
Express Newark
A Grandassa Sunday honors the legacy of the African Jazz-Art Society & Studios (AJASS) and the Grandassa Models, whose Naturally shows helped define the “Black Is Beautiful” movement.
Oct 7th 5 to 10pm
Laylah Amatullah Barrayn, A Grandassa Sunday, Featured (left to right): Original Grandassa Models Nana Ama Tanks, Adzua Barbara Solomon, and Sikolo Brathwaite, 2026. Digital C-Print
Artist: Laylah Amatullah Barrayn
Location: 4th Floor Express Newark
On View: Ongoing
A Grandassa Sunday honors the legacy of the African Jazz-Art Society & Studios (AJASS) and the Grandassa Models, whose Naturally shows helped define the “Black Is Beautiful” movement. On May 31, 2026, artist Laylah Amatullah Barrayn photographed eighteen original and next-generation Grandassa Models at SHINE Portrait Studio, Express Newark, connecting this history with contemporary portraiture. Pictured together above, original Grandassa Models Nana Ama Tanks, Adzua Barbara Solomon, and Sikolo Brathwaite embody a living legacy of sisterhood, natural beauty, and Black self-determination across generations.
54 Halsey St, Newark, NJ 07102, USA