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    In Hyperrealistic Oil Paintings, Chloe West Summons Magical Realism in the American West

    “Gored Cowboy” (2024-25), oil on linen, 84 x 68 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and HARPER’S, New York, shared with permission

    In Hyperrealistic Oil Paintings, Chloe West Summons Magical Realism in the American West

    April 10, 2025

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    Set against mountains, desert plains, and the cobalt blue skies one finds at high elevations, Chloe West’s striking oil paintings merge Dutch Golden Age iconographies with both mythic and everyday motifs of the American West.

    West was born and raised in Wyoming, the peaks and pastures of which continue to influence her hyperrealistic figurative works. In her current solo exhibition, Games of Chance at HARPER’S, the artist draws on European portraiture and still life traditions in a series of self-portraits and tableaux challenging stereotypes of the West as a frontier molded by machismo.

    “Cowboy Philosopher” (2024-25), oil on linen, 84 x 68 inches

    “Cowboy Philosopher,” for example, portrays the artist in direct confrontation with the viewer, seated beside a mountain lion skull at a table covered with a celestial tapestry. The painting evokes Salomon Koninck’s “A Philosopher” (1635) and works by other Flemish artists of the 17th and 18th centuries, who often depicted alchemists and scholars in their studies accompanied by skulls, devices, and documents.

    West subverts our understanding of cowboy culture as predominantly masculine, juxtaposing her own body with bones, small weapons, and fabric backdrops that establish a tension between life and death, folklore and daily life, and the sacred and the profane. Animal bones, thorns, and knives nod to memento mori, a reminder of the impermanence of life, while also invoking the supernatural and a sense of cyclical time. Casting deep, dark shadows, the glaring sun reveals all.

    Portraying herself in western wear, West bonds to the continuum of the landscape and its customs and narratives while considering the way European attitudes and actions like Manifest Destiny shaped our understanding of the region. The artist taps into legend, history, and magical realism to blur distinctions between the past and contemporary experience. “Ultimately, throughout Games of Chance, West confronts the idealization of frontier heroism, dismantling its pre-established boundaries and expanding upon the legacy it left behind,” the gallery says.

    Games of Chance opens today and continues through May 10 in New York City. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

    “Hand with Opossum Skull” (2024-25), oil on linen, 24 x 20 inches

    Detail of “Gored Cowboy”

    “Trapper’s Still Life” (2024-5), oil on linen, 48 x 38 inches

    “Pearled Back” (2024-25), oil on linen, 58 x 46 inches

    “Portrait with Capped Skull” (2024-25), oil on linen, 58 x 48 inches

    “Pocketknife” (2024), oil on linen, 16 x 12 inches

    “St. Veronica at the Geyser Basin” (2024-25, oil on linen, 48 x 38 inches

    “Hand with Thorn” (2024-25), oil on linen, 24h x 20w in

    Detail of “Cowboy Philosopher”

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    Sebas Velasco’s Dreamy Oil Paintings Illuminate Cinematic Urban Landscapes

    “Somewhere in Time,” oil on canvas, 195 x 195 centimeters. All images courtesy of Sebas Velasco and the History Museum of Bosnia and Heregovina, shared with permission

    Sebas Velasco’s Dreamy Oil Paintings Illuminate Cinematic Urban Landscapes

    April 9, 2025

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    Sebas Velasco (previously) has long been drawn to the landscapes and cultures of the Balkans and former Yugoslavian countries in southeastern Europe, where he has spent the past decade traveling and researching for his large-scale paintings and murals.

    The Morning Will Change Everything at the History Museum of Bosnia and Heregovina marks the Spanish artist’s first institutional exhibition. Inspired by the title of a song by Sarajevo-based band Indexi, the show continues Velasco’s exploration of urban landscapes and themes of relationships and passing time.

    “Wherever I May Roam,” oil on canvas, 195 x 195 centimeters

    Rendered in oil on wood or canvas, Velasco’s paintings depict figures, architecture, and old cars illuminated by street lamps or headlights in a realistic yet dreamlike world. Taking cues from photography through the use of cinematic lighting effects and portraiture, he often juxtaposes contrasting elements like grassy meadows with brutalist high-rises or derelict cars with wildflowers.

    Whether glowing under an orange street light or spotlit against a fuzzy smattering of brake lights and apartment windows, Velasco’s subjects are relaxed, poised, and unhurried. One can imagine the din of car horns, music, and other city noises in the background, yet Velasco emphasizes brief, self-assured interactions as if momentarily, time is at a standstill.

    Nighttime plays a starring role in Velasco’s compositions, which tap into dualities of the known and unknown, revelations and secrets, individuality and anonymity, and the quotidian and the extraordinary. He conjures “gateways to complex socio-economic narratives,” the museum says, emphasizing the power of humanity amid ever-evolving identities and the tumult of globalization.

    Find more on Velasco’s website and Instagram.

    Detail of “Wherever I May Roam”

    “Golf II,” oil on wood, 41 x 27 centimeters

    “The Morning Will Change Everything,” oil on wood, 120 x 120 centimeters

    “Agata,” oil on wood, 81 x 65 centimeters

    Detail of “Agata”

    “Yugo 45 III,” oil on wood, 24 x 35 centimeters

    “Interior Night Sarajevo II,” oil on wood, 46 x 33 centimeters

    Velasco working on a painting in his solo exhibition at the History Museum of Bosnia and Heregovina

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    Drawing on Religious Renaissance Art, Marc Padeu’s Paintings Monumentalize the Quotidian

    “The Dreamers” (2019), acrylic on canvas, 230 x 360 centimeters. All images © Marc Padeu, courtesy of Larkin Durey, London, shared with permission

    Drawing on Religious Renaissance Art, Marc Padeu’s Paintings Monumentalize the Quotidian

    April 3, 2025

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    Foregrounding vibrant patterns, swathed in bright fabrics, and illuminated by the sun, the figures in Cameroonian artist Marc Padeu’s paintings are imbued with beguiling gravitas. His large-scale works stem from a fascination with the power of narrative, connecting the Western art historical canon—especially Renaissance titans like Caravaggio—with contemporary experiences of life in Cameroon.

    Padeu was trained by the church as a fresco painter. He draws on dramatic biblical stories to juxtapose momentous religious and spiritual accounts with quotidian moments that emphasize Black joy, leisure, family, and fraternity.

    “Au baptême 2” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 200 x 300 centimeters

    Through the immediacy of acrylic, Padeu renders figures in everyday yet memorable scenes, whether gathered outdoors to relax, witnessing a baptism, or solemnly coexisting amid vivid surroundings.

    Many of Padeu’s paintings take inspiration from Renaissance compositions, like “La réunion syndicale,” which bears hints of da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” (1495-1498) or Caravaggio’s “The Supper at Emmaus” (1601). Portrayed nearly life-size, the artist’s tableaux immerse us in rites of passage and moments of togetherness.

    Find more on the artist’s Instagram.

    “La réunion syndicale” (2021), acrylic on canvas, 200 x 280 centimeters

    “La bague de Roxane” (2023), acrylic on canvas, 200 x 280 centimeters

    “All the light on me” (2021), acrylic on canvas, 200 x 338 centimeters

    “La Balançoire 2” (2025), acrylic on canvas, 200 x 230 centimeters

    “Au pique-nique” (2022), acrylic on canvas, 220 x 200 centimeters

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    In Vivid Reliquaries, Stan Squirewell Layers Anonymous Portraits and Patterned Textiles

    All images courtesy of Stan Squirewell and Claire Oliver Gallery, shared with permission

    In Vivid Reliquaries, Stan Squirewell Layers Anonymous Portraits and Patterned Textiles

    March 28, 2025

    ArtPhotography

    Grace Ebert

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    Through intimate, mixed-media collages, Stan Squirewell excavates the stories of those who might otherwise be lost in anonymity. The artist gathers images from the Smithsonian’s archives and from friends and family that he then reinterprets with vibrant prints and patterns. Layering unknown pasts with present-day additions, Squirewell explores how everyday traditions and rituals remain through generations.

    His new body of work, Robitussin, Hotcombs & Grease, invokes ubiquitous items like the over-the-counter decongestant and hair care. “Growing up, I was shaped by elders around me, and everyday objects like Robitussin, hotcombs, and grease became vessels for the rituals that anchored me to my heritage,” the artist says. “These items transcend their mundane uses: they embody traditions passed down through generations, grounding me in a collective identity.”

    “Girls on Saturn” (2025)

    Squirewell cuts and collages images and fabrics from his collection before photographing the composition, which then undergoes a digital editing process. An elaborate frame complements each piece with charred shou sugi ban edges—a Japanese burning technique—and hand-carved details. The sides bear various inscriptions connecting past and present, including lines from Langston Hughes’ poems and glyphs from ancestral African languages that have fallen out of use.

    Because the identities and histories of many of the subjects are unknown, Squirewell’s work adds a new relevance to their images. How have daily, domestic practices and the legacies of previous generations informed the present? And how do these traditions create a broader collective experience? Rooted in these questions, the dignified works become reliquaries that honor what’s been passed down and how that continues to inform life today.

    Robitussin, Hotcombs & Grease is on view through May 24 at Claire Oliver Gallery in Harlem. Find more from Squirewell on Instagram.

    “Teddy” (2024), artist-printed photos collaged with paint and glitter in a hand-carved shou sugi ban frame, 43 x 35 x 3 inches

    “Teddy’s Lil Sisters” (2024), artist-printed photos collaged with paint and glitter in a hand-carved shou sugi ban frame, 29 x 24 x 2 inches

    “Girls on Saturn” (2025)

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    Inhabitants of a Fictional World Search for Understanding in Damien Cifelli’s Vibrant Paintings

    “A guide to the Unknown Other.” All images courtesy of Damien Cifelli, shared with permission

    Inhabitants of a Fictional World Search for Understanding in Damien Cifelli’s Vibrant Paintings

    March 28, 2025

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    In Tarogramma, the imaginary world conceived by Damien Cifelli (previously) as a setting for his vibrant paintings, plants are plentiful, but animals don’t exist. The landscapes are as diverse and enigmatic as its inhabitants, who commune with bodies of water, traverse the desert in a suit, and size up an enigmatic object on a dinner plate.

    Cifelli’s stylish figures investigate their environment to try to understand their place within it. Many of the paintings shown here were recently exhibited at Spinello Projects in Miami, emphasizing the artist’s recent focus on analyzing what life is like in this fictive world.

    “I make a map in my mind but each time I raise my head it disappears”

    “In Tarogramma, symbols are imbued with disassociated meanings unrelated to what we think they could be,” says a statement for his show. “Iconography, such as flags or emblems, represent regions that exist not as physical places but as ideas or states of mind.” This world is devoid of ethnic, cultural, or gender hierarchies, and identity is fluid and chosen, which encourages constant transformation.

    Occasionally, Cifelli’s paintings reference famous artworks like “Wanderer before the Sea of Ice,” which nods to German Romanticist artist Caspar David Friedrich’s 1818 painting, “Wanderer Above a Sea of Fog.” Capturing the solipsism of the 19th-century work, Cifelli translates the view into an arctic scene of jagged ice, with the central figure wearing a coat decorated in symbols evocative of biological forms.

    Explore more on Cifelli’s website and Instagram.

    “The trick is to know what you are looking for”

    “A new route to the interior”

    “Everything that happens will happen today”

    “Dream Animal”

    “Green Fingers, Unit 14”

    “Infinite Ground”

    “At the foot of the mountain, the land speaks”

    “Wanderer before the Sea of Ice”

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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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    A Visit to Amy Sherald’s Studio Revels in Her Commitment to Beauty

    All images courtesy of Art21

    A Visit to Amy Sherald’s Studio Revels in Her Commitment to Beauty

    March 19, 2025

    ArtFilm

    Grace Ebert

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    From the studio to her childhood bedroom in Columbus, Georgia, to the museum, a new film from Art21 presents a broad portrait of Amy Sherald. The artist is perhaps best known for her depiction of former First Lady Michelle Obama and her signature images of Black Americans rendered in grayscale.

    In “Singular Moments,” the Art21 team peers into Sherald’s process and captures the intricacies of creating a work. Reference photos taped to a wall and paint squirted onto white paper plates accompany the artist as she works on her increasingly large-scale canvases.

    Sherald frequently paints people she knows, beginning with their faces and eyes before moving on to the rest of their figures. As the title of the film suggests, her focus is on a single moment of beauty. “I think beautiful paintings are important,” she says in the film. “I say figuration is like the soul food of art making. It’s what takes you back home and what you eat when you need comfort, and we all need that at some point.”

    The film comes ahead of Sherald’s first solo exhibition at a New York museum, American Sublime, which will present about 50 works from 2007 to today next month at the Whitney Museum of American Art. In addition to a visit to the artist’s parents’ home, filled with grade-school pictures and teenage art projects, viewers also witness the creation of some of her more recent works, particularly those exploring what it means to be an American.

    Watch “Singular Moments” above, and be sure to read our conversation with the artist in which she discusses anxiety and finding respite in her work.

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    Sparse Brushstrokes Give Rise to Thick Impasto in Jose Lerma’s Minimal Portraits

    “Leidy” (2025), acrylic on burlap, 48 x 36 inches. All images courtesy of Jose Lerma and Nino Mier Gallery, shared with permission

    Sparse Brushstrokes Give Rise to Thick Impasto in Jose Lerma’s Minimal Portraits

    March 13, 2025

    Art

    Grace Ebert

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    When Jose Lerma encountered “Reception of the Grand Condé by Louis XIV” by Jean-Léon Gérôme at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, he found himself drawn to the figures tucked far behind the crowd. Known for his meticulous realism, Gérôme rendered these small characters with minimal brushstrokes, a decision that has influenced Lerma’s work for more than a decade.

    Exaggerating the sparse quality of the figures, Lerma (previously) paints portraits in wide swaths of acrylic applied with brooms and industrial tools. The new works retain the contrasts of earlier pieces as well-defined strokes sweep across the burlap to form heavy, impasto ridges.

    “Yamila” (2025), acrylic on burlap, 72 x 48 inches

    At Nino Mier Gallery in Brussels, Lerma’s new solo exhibition Bayamonesque presents the culmination of his current style. The title references his upbringing in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, and how we think about resemblance. Painting both real subjects and manufactured characters, the portraits reference those who might otherwise be relegated to the background, stripping down their likeness to only what’s necessary.

    Vacillating between figurative and abstract, the compositions are what Lerma refers to as “the summary of a portrait…The abstract painter in me is, above all, drawn to certain people for specific features that can be broken down to their bare minimum as paintable elements: an expressive cowl, a striking nose, a distinctive shape of lips.”

    Bayamonesque is on view from March 14 to April 17 in Brussels. Find more from Lerma on Instagram.

    “Celimar” (2025), acrylic on burlap, 32 x 24 inches

    “Leda” (2025), acrylic on burlap, 72 x 48 inches

    “Clarisa” (2025), acrylic on burlap, 32 x 24 inches

    “Felo” (2025), acrylic on burlap, 24 x 16 inches

    “Ismaela” (2025), acrylic on burlap, 32 x 24 inches

    “Rania” (2025), acrylic on burlap, 32 x 24 inches

    “Fernanda” (2025), acrylic on burlap, 24 x 16 inches

    “Lisi” (2025), acrylic on burlap, 48 x 36 inches

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