indira allegra: The Book of Zero

Death is a fundamental first step toward rebirth—but this transition can feel daunting without a compassionate guide.

In The Book of Zero, the 2026 Jacob Lawrence Legacy Resident indira allegra presents a multimedia, meditative experience shaped by their research into doula work, death care, and the cyclical nature of bodies and environments. 

Water, weaving, and projected imagery animate the earth and its afflictions, creating choreographed spaces for reflection and transformation. The systems that have long shaped and harmed our communities—white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism, and bigotry—are understood here as structures in their final death throes, requiring care, intention, and collective effort to fully dissolve. Drawing on the narrative rhythms and poetic repetition of sacred texts, The Book of Zero moves through the difficulty of endings with compassion, opening space for renewal.

Rebirth unfolds on both collective and individual levels. As visitors move through the exhibition, they are invited to ask: What do I need to release in order to move forward? The Book of Zero encourages openness to the transformations necessary to usher in an era of healing.

The exhibition is open from February 4 through April 4, 2026. See details.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

indira allegra (they/them) is a conceptual artist and founder of Cazimi Studio. allegra's work has been featured in The Art Newspaper, Artnet, Art Journal, BOMB Magazine, SF Chronicle, e-flux, All Arts, Topical Cream and ARTFORUM and presented in exhibitions and performances at the Museum of Arts and Design (New York, New York), Blaffer Art Museum (Houston, TX), KADIST (San Francisco, California), Center for Craft (Asheville, North Carolina), Museum of the African Diaspora (San Francisco, California), and SFMOMA (San Francisco, California) among others. allegra is the author of Tension Studies (2024) and Dispersal of a Feeling: Bloodnotes on Choreography and Illness (2024) and Blackout (2017, Sming Sming Books). Their writing has been featured in Theater, TEXTILE: Cloth and Culture, American Craft Magazine, Panorama Journal, Leonardo and Material Intelligence among others. allegra has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Burke Prize, Creative Capital, United States Artists Fellowship, Gerbode Choreographer Award, Art Matters Fellowship, Pew Center for Arts & Heritage Creative Project Grant and CripTech Metaverse Fellowship. Learn more at indiraallegra.com.

ABOUT THE RESIDENCY

Established in 2015, the Jacob Lawrence Legacy Residency invites Black artists at all stages of their careers to develop new work in residence during the month of January, transforming the gallery into an active studio space. In the months that follow, the resulting work is presented in a public exhibition. While in residence, artists have access to the resources and facilities of the School of Art + Art History + Design and the broader University of Washington community to support and enrich their practice. Residents engage closely with students, faculty, gallery staff, and community partners through conversations, workshops, and collabora­tions that reflect the themes of their work and expand models for creative practice. The residency also invites artists to consider their work in relation to Jacob Lawrence’s life, legacy, and practice. 

The 2026 Jacob Lawrence Legacy Residency is supported in part by the Names Family Foundation, University of Washington Black Opportunity Fund, Donald E. Petersen Endowment for Excellence, Charles Delahunt, Carole Fuller, Floyd and Delores Jones Endowed Fund for the Arts, Kreielsheimer Arts Endowment, and Tricia Tiano and Kent Mettler. 

CREDITS

indira allegra, Artist and Director
Neely Goniodsky, Animator
Heather Loschen, Vocalizations 
Steph Richards, Trumpet and vocalizations 
Coen Rios, Tenor saxophone
Tyler Smith, Percussion and vocalizations