Artist Zak Ové’s figures are included in a new exhibit at LACMA. (photo by Bruce Damonte)

Join the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Sunday, July 28, for an afternoon of art and music, and a discussion with artist Zak Ové.

Ové, a British visual artist of Trinidadian descent, has created a sculptural installation, “The Invisible Man and the Masque of Blackness,” on view at LACMA. The exhibit encapsulates the complex history of racial objectification and the evolution of black subjectivity.

The title’s references – Ben Jonson’s 1605 play, “The Masque of Blackness,” and Ralph Ellison’s 1952 novel, “Invisible Man” – mark two milestones in black history: the first stage production to utilize blackface makeup, and the first novel by an African American to win the National Book Award.

In addition to literary references, the artist draws inspiration from Caribbean Carnival, a festival that originated from the Mardi Gras celebrations of the region’s French colonists, and Canboulay, a parallel celebration in which enslaved people expressed themselves through music and costume, paying homage to their African traditions.

The installation’s 40 graphite figures represent the strength and resilience of the African diaspora.

The event on July 28 is being held in conjunction with the opening weekend of “The Invisible Man and the Masque of Blackness” at LACMA. A performance by Trinidad Steel Drum Band begins at 4 p.m., followed by the conversation with Ové at 5 p.m.

LACMA is located at 5905 Wilshire Blvd. For information, visit lacma.org.