Rayed Mohamed with his work at the Museum of Modern Art
Rayed Mohamed, an artist supported at AHRC NYC’s Kings Highway Day Services and the ArTech Collective, has reached an exciting milestone in his artistic career. The world-renowned Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has purchased Rayed’s piece, Untitled, and added it to the museum’s permanent collection.
During the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when most AHRC NYC programming was conducted remotely, AHRC NYC and MoMA’s Access Programs entered into a partnership. This involved meeting virtually every week, learning about the ideas and processes of artists in MoMA’s collection and engaging in conversations about their own work. Between sessions, the artists were invited to create new work inspired by their feelings of isolation, change, and hope, prompting self-reflection and observations about the uncertain state of the world as well as imagining new places and possibilities.
The partnership culminated in an exhibition entitled “How Are You?” which was on view at MoMA from November 2021 through May 2022. This exhibition was held in conjunction with Joseph E. Yoakum: What I Saw, presenting more than 100 works from a pioneering outsider artist whose life story resonated with many AHRC NYC artists.
Rayed Mohamed, Untitled 0021, 18 x 24 inches
Rayed thrived during his time with MoMA educators. His work caught the eye of Esther Adler, Associate Curator for the Department of Drawings and Prints at MoMA. She and her colleagues believe that Rayed’s work is a great fit for the museum, representing the principles and promise of inclusive contemporary art.
“The Museum of Modern Art is thrilled to acquire Rayed Mohamed’s drawing Untitled into our permanent collection, through a generous gift by Martin and Rebecca Eisenberg,” said Theresa Rodewall, MoMA’s Assistant educator, Access Programs. “Through the Learning and Engagement Department’s access partnership with AHRC NYC’s ArTech Collective from 2020–2021, I had the opportunity to engage in weekly programs with Mohamed and learn more about his artistic process and practice. Mohamed’s dynamic style features bold mark-making and vibrant colors, with a sense of movement and scale that captivates the viewer. We are excited to introduce his work to our museum visitors and inspire creativity, conversation, and connection with MoMA audiences.”
About Rayed Mohamed
Rayed Mohamed, born in 1986, is a self–taught artist who currently resides in Staten Island where he lives with his family. Rayed and family are immigrants to the US from Yemen, arriving here in 1990. He has no formal art education, although from time to time he would attend a program in Yemen when the family returned to his country for a visit.
Throughout his life, Rayed has always been attracted to drawing and visual creations. When he is asked what he is drawing he simply replies, “I am drawing” and quickly returns with an innate ability to hyper-focus on the work he is creating. His brother reports that Rayed is always drawing, and he seems to enjoy spending time in solitude with his creations.
Rayed’s chosen materials are typically simple—colored marker on paper. He produces pieces that bring out different responses in the person perceiving his work which is what makes it unique and usual.
About ArTech
ArTech Collective provides opportunities for artists to develop and express themselves creatively through inclusive, innovative and accessible approaches to traditional and new media. ArTech Collective was established in 2016. At the time, ArTech was a community arts center located at the Howie Stone Adult Day Center in the Bronx. Since its inception, ArTech has begun expanding its programming to all five boroughs, providing all people supported by AHRCNYC the opportunity to develop as artists. The purpose of the studio is to provide people with tools to express their ideas through the creation of art and to develop their craft. The studio is an extension of AHRC NYC’s mission to find ways for children and adults with intellectual & other developmental disabilities to live their lives to their fullest potential.
