William Cordova.

The work and curatorial vision of William Cordova can seem both ubiquitous and elusive at the same time in Miami. The Lima native is an ArtCenter/South Florida alum, an MFA grad from Yale, a 2008 Whitney Biennial participant, an on-again off-again inhabitant of Miami whose work is found in numerous collections and museums. His art is often hard to categorize or even define, ephemeral expressions of our contemporary existence, which often involves our journeys through constant physical and cultural transitions.

Cordova’s work is currently on display at the revived gallery run by Genaro Ambrosino and Lissette Garcia, and his curatorial voice can be heard at the ArtCenter starting tomorrow, Dec. 19.

Cordova’s “istwa.”

His small, sparse, subtle pieces at the General Audience Presents gallery across from MOCA are lovely to look at but more complex to actually comprehend. Cordova mixes languages, materials, textiles from the various diasporas that make up our end of the peninsula – African, Andean, Asian and more. They are a series of works “focusing on making the invisible visible and reframing history through the prism of art. Utilizing drawing, photography and sculpture Cordova creates parallels between the diasporas of the Americas through language and visual forms of abstraction.” Although minimal, Cordova’s artistic imprint covers all corners of the gallery, including the floor.

At the ArtCenter (a Knight Arts grantee), “smoke signals: istwa, paisajes and allegories” covers similar terrain, except with work made by a group of artists. They employ unconventional and traditional materials in artworks that also explore life’s multi-cultural journey through what can become a conflicted mesh of values and ideals. A few of the artists in the show include Onyedika Chuke, Glexis Novoa, Anna Tsouhlarakis and Robert Thiele.

“yawar mallku: look for me in the whirlwind” by William Cordova runs through Feb. 2 at General Audience Presents, 769 NE 125th St., North Miami; generalaudiencepresents.com. “smoke signals: istwa, paisajes and allegories,” a group exhibit, runs through Feb. 17 at the ArtCenter/South Florida, 800 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach; www.artcentersf.org.