The Laband Art Gallery at Loyola Marymount University is hosting a retrospective titled "Noni Olabisi: When Lightning Strikes," showcasing over 40 works by the late Los Angeles muralist and painter. The exhibition, curated by Karen Rapp, spans Olabisi’s career from 1984 to 2022, featuring her powerful political murals and personal canvases that document Black culture and the struggle against systemic racism. This marks the first major posthumous survey of her work since her unexpected passing in 2022.
Olabisi was a seminal figure in the Los Angeles mural movement, known for her uncompromising depictions of the 1992 uprising and the Black Panther Party. Her work matters because it bridges the gap between public street art and formal gallery spaces, preserving the history of South L.A. activism. By bringing her estate’s archives to a university setting, the exhibition ensures her legacy as a self-taught master and a voice for social justice continues to influence new generations of artists and scholars.