Laylah Ali's John Brown Song!, commissioned by Dia for its series of Artists' Projects for the Web, will launch here June 20, 2013.

An opening reception will be held at Dia:Chelsea at 535 West 22nd Street, 5th Floor, New York City, from 6:30 - 8pm on June 20, 2013.

As evinced in her darkly suggestive gouache-on-paper paintings, Laylah Ali's work often engages with questions of oppression, heroism, and emancipation. With undeniable wit, Ali crafts visceral narratives that evoke culturally and historically referential moments. For her Dia commission, Ali gives focus to the radical abolitionist John Brown by composing a portrait of associations to consider the contemporary impact of this complex and elusive historical figure.

Laylah Ali was born in Buffalo, New York. She has had numerous solo exhibitions at institutions, including the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston (2001); Museum of Modern Art, New York (2002); Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (2004); Institute of International Visual Arts, London (2007); and Williams College Museum of Art (2012).

This program is made possible in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency. Beverages compliments of Brooklyn Brewery.