"on tenterhooks"
From September 15 to December 4, 2025, The South Gallery will host a solo exhibition by Indian-born mixed-media artist and educator, Kohl King, titled "on tenterhooks". The gallery will host the opening reception on Friday, September 12 from 5 to 8 p.m. During the duration of the show, there will also be an artist talk event on a date to be confirmed.
The exhibition "on tenterhooks" visually examines the prism of grief to make sense of overwhelming personal tragedies and discover significance in one's continued existence. The title is a phrase derived from an antiquated method of drying large fabrics outdoors in the open air. Wet heavy textiles were stretched on large wooden frames (tenters), and wooden nails (tenterhooks) were driven all through the perimeter of the frames to secure the fabrics in place by their edges. As a result, the fabrics retained their shape and size while drying. Over time, "to be on tenterhooks" became a synonym for feeling anxious, nervous, or suspenseful–waiting apprehensively for something to happen.
The core concept for the exhibition stems from the artist's experiences dealing with severe consecutive family catastrophes in a brief amount of time, leaving her the only intact surviving member of her immediate family:
"In less than a month, everyone and everything fundamental to who I am, where I came from, and what I thought I knew, wanted, and needed–were essentially gone. Since then, I have been battling survivors' guilt and struggling with the intense pain that comes with all these losses. Through my experiences, I have discovered that, despite the long, dark shadow it can cast, grief can also serve as a powerful bridge to love. Grief is a powerful emotional reaction to loss, yet it can also function as a beautiful, complex prismatic lens, altering one's perspective so they can see the world and themselves more positively."
In addition to exploring grief, the exhibition's varied pieces will share the artist's story of survival and highlight her Indian heritage, all the while honoring her family. As the exhibition's title suggests, there will be suspended sculptural installations that feature her father's neckties and her mother's saris, which are traditional Indian clothing for ladies. These sculptures are inspired by the artist's Indian culture, specifically the symbolic shapes and forms found in the ancestral customs, practices, and rituals of her home state of Kerala, India. Alongside these larger pieces, there will be several smaller mixed-media artworks on paper. The artworks in this exhibition will not only depict personal stories but also the ever-shifting viewpoints that develop from dealing with bereavement.
The South Gallery, located on Broward College's South Campus in Hollywood, will host this exhibition from September 15 through December 4, 2025. In June, July, and August preceding the exhibition, the artist will be creating and installing the artworks on site in the gallery. During these months, she will announce a few designated dates on our Instagram when the gallery will be open to the public and encourage the community to visit, observe, engage with her, and see the progress of the exhibition as it comes to fruition. There will also be an artist talk event during the exhibition (TBD). For more details, please visit the Gallery's Instagram (@bcsouthcampusart).
About Broward College
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About the South Gallery
Located on Broward College South Campus, The South Gallery is an intimate non-profit space that hosts contemporary art exhibitions by national and local artists. It serves as an incubator for emerging talent and as a place where established creators continue to inspire. The South Gallery also provides a forum where ideas and views can be gained and exchanged through a wide variety of engaging artistic and cultural events benefiting students, faculty, as well as the larger South Florida community. Visit the South Gallery to learn, experience, and expand your creative spirit. Follow us on Instagram (@bcsouthcampusart).
About the Visual and Performing Arts Department
The Visual & Performing Arts Department at Broward College has been presenting works of exceptional artistic quality to the viewing public since 1960. Productions in dance, theatre, and music, along with visual art exhibitions have thrilled and educated thousands of satisfied patrons. Join us on the web at www.broward.edu/vpa for information about our faculty, classes, programs of study, and our performance and exhibition calendar.