Samantha Modder, “Of All the Worlds We Could Have Dreamed”

Buffalo Arts Studio is proud to present “Of All the Worlds We Could Have Dreamed,” a solo exhibition by Tampa-based artist Samantha Modder, on view from August 22 through November 7, 2025. The opening reception will take place Friday, August 22, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm as part of M&T Fourth Friday at Tri-Main.

Samantha Modder’s work centers the Black imaginary as a creative and liberating force. “Of All the Worlds We Could Have Dreamed” features a powerful series of portraits that resist erasure and reclaim identity through speculative storytelling. These bold, figurative works challenge dominant narratives and open space for imagined futures, emotional complexity, and cultural visibility.

Modder’s process combines traditional and digital techniques. She begins with intricate pen drawings, often rendered with an attention that reflects personal rituals of self-care, such as detangling curls. These hand-drawn elements are scanned and reassembled into striking digital collages that borrow from the visual language of comics. In each work, hair is a central motif a symbol of beauty, rebellion, and connection. It becomes a way to both comfort and confront, challenging imposed standards while celebrating cultural resilience.

Samantha Modder is a multidisciplinary artist based in Tampa, Florida. Her work explores themes of identity, race, gender, and belonging through self-portraiture, speculative imagery, and digital collage. Drawing from her Nigerian and Sri Lankan heritage, as well as her lived experiences across continents, Modder’s art exists at the intersection of the personal and the political. She holds an MFA in Studio Art from the University of South Florida and has exhibited across the U.S.

For more information about Buffalo Arts Studio, please visit www.buffaloartsstudio.org