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    Robert Peterson Summons Black Resilience and Tenderness in Vibrant Portraits

    “The Prophet” (2025), oil on canvas, 48 x 30 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and albertz benda, New York and Los Angeles, shared with permission

    Robert Peterson Summons Black Resilience and Tenderness in Vibrant Portraits

    March 20, 2025

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    In characteristically glistening blue hues, Robert Peterson’s striking portraits invite us into emotionally complex inner worlds.

    Peterson centers the Black body in paintings that challenge dominant narratives surrounding Black lives, celebrating beauty, compassion, and resilience. Tender portraits reveal the essential humanity of vulnerability and individuality with an emphasis on themes of empathy and togetherness.

    “Protect Those Tears” (2025), oil on canvas, 14 x 11 inches

    Peterson’s choice of oils, a traditional portrait medium, embeds his work in the continuum of Western painting. However, instead of highly stylized scenes or elaborate ornamentation, his figures are often set against bold, flat backgrounds and they appear half-dressed or in casual clothes, unguarded and relaxed.

    In his forthcoming solo exhibition, We Are Forever at albertz benda, Peterson examines familial connections, paying homage to the strength and dedication inherent in the relationships between siblings and parents and their children.

    “At the core of this new body of work is a profound sense of intimacy, offering a thoughtful reflection on presence and the enduring significance of his subjects’ stories,” the gallery says.

    We Are Forever runs from March 27 to May 3 in New York. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

    “Untitled (Purple)” (2025), oil on canvas, 18 x 14 inches

    “Water Me” (2025), oil on canvas, 24 x 20 inches

    “Hamsa Tattoo” (2025, oil on canvas, 28 x 22 inches

    “Untitled (Black)” (2025), oil on canvas, 18 x 14 inches

    Installation view of works at the Dallas Art Fair

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    Salvador Dominguez Confronts Identity and Labor Through Woven Pipe Cleaner Vessels

    Images © Salvador Dominguez, shared with permission

    Salvador Dominguez Confronts Identity and Labor Through Woven Pipe Cleaner Vessels

    March 18, 2025

    ArtCraft

    Jackie Andres

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    “I was among the first in my family to go to college,” artist Salvador Dominguez says. “Years after graduating, I began to realize the biggest challenge was going to be sharing the work I make with those closest to me.”

    When art is so deeply intertwined with identity, a profound irony can form when trying to share it with loved ones who haven’t had access to the same resources or lessons in Western art theory and history. Even when the work itself is rooted in shared culture and family connection, how do artists bridge this gap?

    The Chicago-based artist confronts this question in a series of hand-woven vessels titled Mano de Obra. Paying homage to a nostalgic vibrancy from his upbringing in southern California and Mexico, the brilliant colors within Dominguez’s work serve as cultural markers. Memories of vividly painted houses and colorful statues inside corner stores and carnicerias, or butcher shops, guide the artist’s use of color and pattern, each component tethered to his sense of identity.

    Pipe cleaners—which are fairly accessible and easily recognized by both children and adults—proved to be a clear choice as Dominguez contemplated different materials to work with. Weaving each slender, fuzz-covered wire into functional vessels greatly alters the value of the material in a fascinating way and evokes a familiar environment in which the artist was raised, where trade and craft were used interchangeably as currency.

    Recently, Dominguez has begun to teach his mother, Silvia, the weaving techniques he developed with pipe cleaners. He shares:

    Her labor within domestic life often went unseen, but her imagination came alive through craft and embroidery. By involving her in this creative process, I not only honor her contributions but also try to maintain our connection, transforming her labor into a visible and valued part of the work. I remain curious about how this collaborative effort has the potential to bridge the gap between generations, particularly since we live in separate parts of the country.

    To stay inspired, the artist also collects a slew of domestic items. From his mother’s hand-embroidered tortilleros to household textiles like pillowcases and table runners from Indigenous artisans from Mexico, Dominguez’s collection of precious goods influences form, pattern, and palette in his own work. Though he has encountered these articles since early life, turning to them for research has established a new, unique relationship with the familiar objects.

    Dominguez is anticipating a group exhibition in Antwerp, Belgium this May with de boer gallery. Find more work and updates on the artist’s website and Instagram.

    Photo by Ian Vecchiotti. Courtesy of the artist and ANDREW RAFACZ, shared with permission

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    Regal Portraits Evoke Myth and Power in Simone Elizabeth Saunders’ Hand-Tufted Textiles

    “Girl with Butterflies” (2024), silk and wool yarn on muslin warp, 50 x 40 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and Claire Oliver Gallery, shared with permission

    Regal Portraits Evoke Myth and Power in Simone Elizabeth Saunders’ Hand-Tufted Textiles

    March 12, 2025

    ArtCraft

    Kate Mothes

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    Emblazoned with vibrant patterns and words like “TRUTH” and “LOVE,” Simone Elizabeth Saunders explores Black identity in relation to kinship, power, and survival. Her hand-tufted textiles (previously) merge cultural narratives and history with mythology, nostalgia, and personal experiences.

    Saunders predominantly focuses on women, who she portrays in bold portraits and within fantastical, empowering scenarios. In recent works like “Girl with Butterflies” and “She Manifests Her Destiny,” figures embrace and commune with totem-like snakes, insects, and plants.

    “She Reveals” (2022), hand-tufted velvet, acrylic, and wool yarn on rug warp, 65 x 60.5 x 1 inches

    Rooted in the myriad histories of the global Black diaspora and rich textile traditions throughout countless cultures, Saunders employs a craft technique historically relegated to a role “beneath” fine art in order to turn the tables on how we comprehend influence, identity, and artistic expression.

    Saunders is represented by Claire Oliver Gallery, and you can explore more work on the artist’s Instagram.

    “(Be)Longing IV” (2023), hand-tufted acrylic, cotton, wool, and metallic yarn on cotton rug warp, 20 x 1 x 30 inches

    “Girl with Hummingbirds” (2024), silk and wool yarn on muslin warp, 50 x 40 inches

    “Internal Reflections” (2022), hand-tufted velvet, acrylic, and wool yarn on rug warp, 66 x 62.5 x 1 inches

    “(Be)Longing VIII” (2024), hand-tufted acrylic, cotton, wool, and metallic yarn on cotton rug warp, 20 x 1 x 30 inches

    “Release in Darkness” (2022), hand-tufted velvet and acrylic yarn on muslin warp, 66 x 55 inches

    “She Manifests Her Destiny” (2024), silk and wool yarn on textile backing, 50 x 40 inches

    “Break Away at Dawn” (2023), hand-tufted velvet, acrylic, and wool yarn on muslin warp, 66 x 56 x 1 inches

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    In ‘Chimera,’ Erin Milez Lovingly Chronicles the Everyday Chaos of Parenthood

    “The Years Are Short” (2024), oil, acrylic, and flashe on canvas, 24 x 30 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and Monya Rowe Gallery, New York, shared with permission

    In ‘Chimera,’ Erin Milez Lovingly Chronicles the Everyday Chaos of Parenthood

    February 27, 2025

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    Mundane tasks like washing the dishes, eating dinner, or getting some shuteye take on wild and chaotic proportions in Erin Milez’s uncanny paintings. She portrays characters and a home that reflects her own experiences of starting a young family.

    Repetitive motifs and overactive hands—their connection to a body often unclear—cultivate a sense of routine, perform chores, and provide affection. “They go about their daily routines like the seasons, repeating on an accelerated 24-hour cycle,” Milez says.

    “Hot & Cold” (2024), oil on panel, 24 x 18 inches

    The artist draws on the physically and emotionally transformative experience of parenthood in her solo exhibition Chimera at Monya Rowe Gallery. The title reflects the name of a fire-breathing monster in Greek mythology that was part-lion, part-goat, and part-dragon. The term “chimera” is also sometimes used to describe a grotesque beast or a figment of the imagination. Milez says:

    I see my feeling of metamorphosis reflected in various places: in Lucy Jones’ explanation of matrescence and becoming chimeras, “never being singular again,” even on a genetic level; in Tetsuya Ishida’s work, though his embodies a more hopeless and dehumanized transformation in laboring tasks; in Nightbitch where Amy Adams is transformed into a dog because of the primal and physical demands of creation and mothering.

    Tetsuya Ishida, for example, is known for portraying humans merged with machines and banal objects in surreal, alienating scenes. Milez also references the physicality and strength depicted WPA-era works, like the laborers’ bodies in murals by Diego Rivera or Stanley Spencer. The latter was known for large-scale depictions of everyday workers like Port Glasgow shipbuilders on the River Clyde, who people rhythmic, heaving scenes of the round-the-clock toil.

    In Milez’s paintings, quotidian scenes are reframed into elaborate juggling acts. In many cases, the scenes themselves literally frame the activity, like the green tiled sink in “Hot & Cold” that mirrors a material form with clasped hands. In “Receptacle,” numerous hands, handles, and objects swirl around an unwieldy trash bag, and stuffed wooden compartments overflow with nostalgia in “The Years Are Short.”

    “Life & Death II” (2024), oil, acrylic, and flashe on canvas, 40 x 30 inches

    Milez illuminates the emotional rollercoaster of parenthood, invoking its discomforts, uncertainties, disorganization, and above all, devotion. In “Goodnight, Lion,” a sleepless mother squishes into a crib to help her chld sleep, evoking wildlife in a zoo.

    “Occupying a space somewhere between chaos and nurture, Milez observes the complicated and continually changing dynamics between family members and self,” says a statement for Chimera. “Milez is not afraid to portray the seemingly monstrous, but it is never gratuitous and always mitigated by beauty and reality.”

    Chimera continues through March 29 in New York City. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

    “Goodnight, Lion” (2024), oil, acrylic, and flashe on canvas, 24 x 30 inches

    “Receptacle” (2024), oil, acrylic, and flashe on canvas, 30 x 24 inches

    “Life & Death I” (2024), oil, acrylic, and flashe on canvas, 40 x 30 inches

    “Not Lazy Susan” (2024), oil, acrylic, and flashe on canvas, 30 x 24 inches

    “Heavy Mama” (2024), oil, acrylic, and flashe on canvas, 48 x 36 inches

    “Variables” (2025), oil, acrylic, and flashe on canvas, 16 x 12 inches

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    In ‘Flying High,’ Tyler D. Ballon’s Portraits Parallel Sports, History, Identity, and Patriotism

    “Fellow Countrymen” (2024-25), oil on canvas, 78 x 73 inches. Photos by Genevieve Hanson. All images courtesy of Tyler Ballon and Jeffrey Deitch, New York, shared with permission

    In ‘Flying High,’ Tyler D. Ballon’s Portraits Parallel Sports, History, Identity, and Patriotism

    February 21, 2025

    ArtHistory

    Kate Mothes

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    In Édouard Manet’s painting “The Execution of Emperor Maximilian” — actually a series of works completed between 1867 and 1869 — a firing squad dramatically executes the Hapsburg royal and two generals. Maximilian became Emperor of Mexico at the urging of Napoleon III, following the second French intervention in the country between 1861 and 1867.

    For his forthcoming solo exhibition, Flying High at Jeffrey Deitch, New Jersey-based artist Tyler D. Ballon recreates the 19th-century painter’s work in a 16-foot-wide diptych titled “Right to Bear Arms/Second Amendment” that portrays two young Black men protecting three young Black women, who look directly at the viewer with dignity, in defiance of objectification.

    “Right to Bear Arms/Second Amendment” (2024-25), oil on canvas, diptych, overall 70 x 193.5 inches

    “Seeing a gun pointed at a person of color is something that’s familiar to American history,” Ballon says in a statement. “But having an African American man holding a rifle is distinctively different. The work challenges perceptions of Black men bearing arms, reclaiming their image as patriots and protectors, and pays homage to the Civil War troops.”

    Patriotism and narrative weave throughout Ballon’s architectonic works, drawing on the legacy of history painting, African Americans in the Civil War, and identity through the lens of contemporary sports. The artist says:

    While creating these paintings, I realized there is an interesting dichotomy between sports being a tool for success and having Black bodies being used to advance America’s ambition. My paintings challenge stereotypes that confine people of color to achieving success solely through physical prowess or musical talent. These works celebrate the resilience of young African Americans who carve out better lives using the resources available to them.

    Ballon excavates Black American history, paying homage to those who fought for citizenship and freedom. Through football, a quintessentially American sport, he evokes military ideologies that also offer young men “an avenue to channel their aggression, build camaraderie, and find fulfillment,” he says.” Games evoke battles; coaches are likened to generals or lieutenants; and key players are assigned to be offensive or defensive “captains,” leading their teammates and relaying calls from the sidelines.

    “Sound of Victory” (2025), oil paint on canvas, 82 x 78 inches

    Choosing his hometown of Jersey City’s Abraham Lincoln High School to represent a metaphorical and symbolic regiment, Ballon nods to Black Civil War veterans who fought for African Americans’ rights. Football is also channeled as a means for young people to advance to higher education and further their future prospects. “The children in these paintings are a testament to progress and a source of hope for the future,” the artist says.

    In “Before the Battle,” players suit up and a coach stands off to the left, looking directly back at us, as do many of the determined players. In “Fellow Countrymen,” we see three distinguished players who also make eye contact, geared up and ready to take on whatever the opposing team throws their way. Our perspective is always just a little bit lower than eye level with the figures, encouraging us to view them in subtle reverence, as we would with many of art history’s grand portraits and battle scenes.

    Ballon grasps the troubled legacy of some early 19th-century history painting, which prior to the widespread use of photography was one way that the European public could comprehend their nations’ overseas colonial empires, all of which deeply and violently impacted Black and Indigenous peoples.

    History painting was seen as a form of documentation, sometimes criticized for its lack of accuracy with regard to depictions of battles, but it proved a powerful method for furthering white European imperial attitudes. For Ballon, appropriating the genre yields a powerful tool, turning the tables on both who makes and is portrayed in the monumental scenes.

    Detail of “Right to Bear Arms/Second Amendment”

    Ballon also celebrates marching bands, historically used to convey orders and signals to military troops, which over time assumed the role of morale- and unity-boosters. “I choose to portray the marching band of Malcom X Shabazz High School for their renowned excellence in performance, their New Jersey roots, and their namesake, Malcom X, a pivotal leader during the Civil Rights Movement whose ideology helped shape African American culture and history,” Ballon says.

    The title of the exhibition, Flying High, reflects the aspiration to rise above the adversities of inner city life. “My work focuses on the lives and experiences of the people in my community,” Ballon says. “I believe in capturing moments that can inspire and validate their existence, extending their stories beyond geographic and temporal boundaries. I want young people to see themselves as worthy of being immortalized in art—a recognition that transcends time.”

    Flying High runs from March 8 to April 19 in New York City. See more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

    “Before the Battle” (2024-25), oil on canvas, diptych, overall 90 x 134 inches

    Detail of “Before the Battle”

    Detail of “Sound of Victory”

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    Intimacy Centers in Nia Winslow’s Nostalgic Paper Collages Highlighting Black Experiences

    “Child’s Olay” (2023), paper collage, 32 x 40 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and SHEER, shared with permission

    Intimacy Centers in Nia Winslow’s Nostalgic Paper Collages Highlighting Black Experiences

    February 11, 2025

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    From torn pieces of paper, Nia Winslow constructs vibrant scenes that evoke togetherness and nostalgia, often harkening back to the mid-20th century. The Brooklyn-based artist taught herself to create mixed-media collages using paper adhered to wood panels, which draw on narratives, moods, and memories.

    Winslow predominantly focuses on the African diaspora, tracing stories of the lives of Black individuals in America. Through collages made with a variety of textures, cuttings, and clippings, she illuminates young people playing outdoors, sitting with their parents, and spending time with one another.

    “Steady” (2025), paper collage on birchwood panel, 40 x 30 inches

    The artist enjoys combining her passion for style with storytelling. She draws inspiration from artists like Romare Bearden, Kerry James Marshall, Faith Ringgold, and Jacob Lawrence, often portraying Black figures during everyday activities and in informal, leisurely settings.

    “Mundane or complex, each piece is created to capture the essence of life through the lens of someone who experiences it,” she says in a statement. Cars, urban architecture, garments, and hairstyles emerge in vivid, intimate portraits of community, support, and self-love.

    Winslow’s work “Steady” will be on view at Affordable Art Fair from March 19 to 23 in New York City, presented by SHEER. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

    “Secret Keeper” (2023), paper collage, 24 x 36 inches

    “Muvah” (2022), paper collage, 40 x 30 inches

    “License to Loiter” (2021), paper collage on birchwood, 24 x 36 inches

    “Muvah & Me” (2024), paper collage on birchwood panel, 30 x 24 inches

    “The Fainting Couch” (2022), mixed media paper collage on birchwood panel, 24 x 36 inches

    “We Real Cool” (2024), paper collage on birchwood panel, 40 x 30 inches

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    Lauren Halsey’s ’emajendat’ Is an Energetic Celebration of South Central Los Angeles

    Installation view of ’emajendat’ at Serpentine South. Installation photos by Hugo Glendinning, © Lauren Halsey, courtesy of Serpentine, shared with permission

    Lauren Halsey’s ’emajendat’ Is an Energetic Celebration of South Central Los Angeles

    January 14, 2025

    ArtSocial Issues

    Kate Mothes

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    Inspired by the South Central neighborhood of Los Angeles, where Lauren Halsey’s family has lived for generations, vibrant sculptures and site-specific installations vividly reflect the artist’s community.

    At Serpentine South, a large-scale, maximalist exhibition titled emajendat highlights Halsey’s self-described obsession with material culture, her interest in remixing messages and symbols, and the need to confront issues that affect people of color, the queer community, and the working class.

    Installation view

    Halsey gathers photographs, posters, flyers, commercial signs, and found objects that relate to her communities’ activism, highlighting “a sense of civic urgency and free-flowing imagination,” says David Kordansky Gallery, which co-represents the artist with Gagosian. “Inspired by Afrofuturism and funk, as well as the signs and symbols that populate her local environments, Halsey creates a visionary form of culture that is at once radical and collaborative.”

    Past, present, and future merge in the artists exploration of how idols, architecture, history, and communication fuel how we perceive identities and society. She draws on the imagery of ancient Egypt, the African diaspora, Black and queer icons, and the visionary design associated with funk to construct a kind of ever-evolving archive.

    In a monumental rooftop installation titled “the eastside of south central los angeles hieroglyph prototype architecture (I),” Halsey nods to palatial, ancient Egyptian architecture, placing the faces of notable Black figures on the columns’ capitals, such as activist Susan Burton and ethnomusicologist Dr. Rachel Eubanks.

    Halsey’s eclectic “funkmound” sculptures also encompass numerous found items, harboring miniature dioramas and objects that appear as though they are emerging from heaps of cotton candy. Throughout emajendat, seemingly endless collages, sculptures, reflections, prismatic color, patterns, messages, and textures welcome the viewer into an enthusiastically immersive experience.

    Installation view of ‘The Roof Garden Commission: Lauren Halsey,’ “the eastside of south central los angeles hieroglyph prototype architecture (I)” (2022). Photo by Hyla Skopitz, © Lauren Halsey, courtesy of the artist; David Kordansky Gallery and The Metropolitan Museum of Art

    The social element of Halsey’s work is amplified by a community center she founded in 2019 called Summaeverythang, located adjacent to her studio in South Central. The nonprofit initiative is “dedicated to the empowerment and transcendence of Black and Brown folks socio-politically, economically, intellectually, and artistically.”

    emajendat continues through February 23 in Kensington Gardens, London. Plan your visit on the gallery’s website.

    Foreground: “keepers of the krown (susan burton)” (2024), glass fiber, reinforced concrete, and mixed media, 261 3/4 x 48 1/8 x 48 1/8 inches. Background: “keepers of the krown (dr. rachel eubanks)” (2024), glass fiber, reinforced concrete, and mixed media 261 3/4 x 48 1/8 x 48 1/8 inches. Photo by Andrea Avezzù, © Lauren Halsey, courtesy of the artist, David Kordansky Gallery, and Gagosian

    Installation view

    Installation detail

    Installation view

    Installation detail

    Installation collage detail

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    David Antonio Cruz Celebrates Queer Love with Joy and Opulence

    “iknowyou’vebeenwonderingwherei’vebeen:adrift,adraft,astare,atilt,asigh,exhale.but,icamebacktoletyouknow,gotathingforyou,andican’letitgo_ the raft.” (2024), oil, acrylic, and ink on wood panel, 72 x 96 x 2 inches. All photos by Bob, courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, shared with permission

    David Antonio Cruz Celebrates Queer Love with Joy and Opulence

    September 24, 2024

    Art

    Grace Ebert

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    In chosenfamily, David Antonio Cruz celebrates the bonds between people who have decided they will love each other unconditionally, no biological relationship required.

    He paints lavish portraits of queer people of color dressed in vibrant, patterned gowns, strings of pearls, sequin tops, and chic, boldly framed glasses. Depicted embracing, lounging, and often piled atop one another in a monumental mass, the figures are at ease and appear to unite as one.

    Detail of “icamebackthefollowingnightandwalkedthegoundslookingforyou,wegotturnedawayonthesecondnight,buticamebackagainandagain,andagain_ the mound.” (2024), oil and acrylic on wood panel, 72 x 98 1/2 x 2 inches

    Emerging during COVID-induced isolation, Cruz’s chosenfamily series is set at home. Victorian-era sofas cradle the subjects, whose individual bodies dangle over the wooden frames and drape across one another. The most recent additions to the series reflect on what it means to feel at home. Stretching up to eight feet wide, these immense paintings are on view through October 26 in the artist’s solo show come close, like before at Monique Meloche Gallery.

    When the artist prepares to make a portrait, he might first host a dinner party or intimate gathering to form bonds between the future sitters and foster a trusting community. What follows is an elaborate photoshoot during which the subjects are encouraged to dramatize.

    “The way you pose for me isn’t just sitting, there’s this sense of dripping, of leaning; we’re performing and being extra, and for me that’s the radical part, that’s the joy of being non-conforming and not falling into rules,” he said in an interview.

    come close, like before is also a response to the relationship between Spain and Puerto Rico, the latter of which Cruz has ancestral ties. Referencing maritime painting traditions and Théodore Géricault’s precarious scene in “Raft of the Medusa,” in particular, the artist questions the enduring, colonial implications of the ocean and the uncertainties associated with homemaking. Through paintings filled with love and unbreakable bonds, he subverts the seafaring genre by planting his subjects on firm footing, their sights set on a hopeful future.

    In addition to Cruz’s show in Chicago, New Yorkers can find the artist’s exhibition when the children come home through February 16, 2025, at Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling. Visit Instagram for more.

    Detail of “iknowyou’vebeenwonderingwherei’vebeen:adrift,adraft,astare,atilt,asigh,exhale.but,icamebacktoletyouknow,gotathingforyou,andican’letitgo_ the raft.” (2024), oil, acrylic, and ink on wood panel, 72 x 96 x 2 inches

    “icamebackthefollowingnightandwalkedthegoundslookingforyou,wegotturnedawayonthesecondnight,buticamebackagainandagain,andagain_ the mound.” (2024), oil and acrylic on wood panel, 72 x 98 1/2 x 2 inches

    “isaiditoncebefore,butnowIfeelitevenmore_feelin’pretty,pretty,pretty” (2023), oil and acrylic on wood panel with aluminum backing, 72 x 60 inches

    “Icouldn’tcallitbynamebefore,butmaybe it’sbeentheresinceIfirstknew” (2024), oil and latex on wood panel, 36 x 36 x 2 inches

    Detail of “Icouldn’tcallitbynamebefore,butmaybe it’sbeentheresinceIfirstknew” (2024), oil and latex on wood panel, 36 x 36 x 2 inches

    “ilovedeveryoneofthem” (2022), oil, acrylic, and ink on wood panel, 72 x 60 inches

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