Go behind-the-scenes with a conversation discussing art and music, featuring a live beat breakdown with Kendrick Lamar’s hit collaborator Tane Runo and world-renowned painter Tariku Shiferaw. The two will analyze Shiferaw’s abstract painting, Element (Kendrick Lamar). The painting—on view in the High’s galleries—is directly inspired by Lamar’s discography, and Shiferaw’s practice connects abstract geometry with popular music culture.
On Art and Music: Element (Kendrick Lamar)
August 22, 2026 | 6–9 p.m.
Location: High Museum of Art, Taylor Lobby
Not a member? Join today!
Your ticket Includes: Exclusive, after-hours viewing of select artwork galleries, Conversation with creatives, Opportunity to meet the panelists, A live beat breakdown by producer, Tane Runo, and Access to a cash bar.
Tariku Shiferaw (Ethiopian, born 1983), Element (Kendrick Lamar), 2020, Acrylic on canvas, gift of Kent Kelley, 2023.90.
What to Expect
6 p.m.
Doors and Bar open
6:15 p.m.
Public Conversation analyzing the Element (Kendrick Lamar), followed by Q&A
7:00 p.m.
Musical Selection by Tane Runo, bar reopens, and artwork viewing continues
9 p.m.
Program concludes
Panelists
Tariku Shiferaw
Tariku Shiferaw is a painter who lives and works in New York City. Shiferaw explores the concept of ‘mark-making’ to address the physical, social, and political spaces of art and societal constructs. Shiferaw’s work has been exhibited at institutions across the globe including the Whitney Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Baltimore Museum of Art, Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt (Germany), California African American Museum, and Modern Art Museum: Gebre Kristos Desta Center (Ethiopia). He holds an MFA from Parson School of Design and a BFA from University of Southern California.
Tane Runo
Tane Runo is a music producer, songwriter, and recording artist who lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Credits include Nicki Minaj’s platinum-certified “Yikes,” JID’s platinum-certified “Kody Blu 31,” Kacey Musgraves’ Grammy-winning “Lonely Millionaire,” and collaborations with Travis Scott, Usher, Wiz Khalifa, EARTHGANG, and 6LACK. Most recently, Tane Runo produced “dodger blue” from Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy Award-winning album GNX.
Born in Columbus, Ohio, Tane Runo began his musical journey as a rapper with an upbringing built upon gospel, soul, and hip-hop. His work is deeply informed by Black musical traditions and shaped by influences spanning Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, André 3000, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams.
Tane Runo is expanding his artistic voice through his forthcoming debut project, All of the Above, a reflection of the music, culture, and creative influences that continue to shape his work.
Moderator
Demetri Burke
Demetri Burke is the Art Bridges Cultural and Civic Engagement Fellow at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia. He coordinates Oasis, the High’s monthly art and wellness program, as well as community engaged programs that inspire learning and connection with art. He holds an BFA from Georgia State University.
Related Events
August 1, 2026
2 – 3 p.m.
How do Isamu Noguchi’s ideas about world building influence today’s designers? Join the exhibition co-curators and guest speakers to explore the enduring design legacy of one of the 20th century’s most prolific creative minds, Isamu Noguchi.
September 5, 2026
2 – 3 p.m.
How do Walter Wick’s dazzling photographic worlds come to life?
Go behind the scenes with artist Walter Wick, in conversation with organizing curator Andrew Westover. Together, the speakers will explore Wick’s creative process, which is on display in the exhibition I SPY! Walter Wick’s Hidden Wonders.