Nou Rive: In Between Worlds is an ever-evolving installation of remembrance and establishment.
"Nou Rive" translates to “we’ve arrived.” Throughout Isaac’s Brooklyn neighborhood, these flags are often seen marking grand openings and new beginnings. In this work, the flags are recontextualized to honor immigrants who have established themselves within the urban landscape, setting down roots, creating a home away from home, and weaving their cultural identities into their surroundings.
The language shift in the title between Haitian-Kreyol and English, reflects the experience of actively assimilating while remaining rooted in ancestral ways of being.
In Isaac’s paintings, these flags appear as recurring motifs among figures who live autonomously in reimagined worlds.
Each flag was hand-stitched using found fabrics and materials selected for their nostalgic resonance and familiarity—reminders of home.
Nou Rive: In Between Worlds
Views from the Studio.2024, mixed media installation, found/donated fabrics, rope, pins, grommets (dimensions variable).
Views from the Gallery.Nou Rive: In Between Worlds debuted at Isaac’s solo exhibition, "Come as Your Are, This Is Our Battle Too" at Smack Mellon Fall of 2024.