Dozie Kanu Challenges Distinctions Between Black Vernacular Making and Fine Art

“Form follows function.” Attributed to American architect Louis Sullivan, this edict pitted pragmatic design against the lofty ideals of Neo-Classical architecture. Today, artist Dozie Kanu reanimates this functionalist argument, especially its legacy in the United States. Most of his sculptures could double as furniture, though they’re shown as artworks in his first solo museum exhibition, “Dozie Kanu: Function,” now at Studio Museum 127 in Harlem. Visitors are not