Social Abstraction

Gagosian is pleased to announce Social Abstraction, the second installment of a two-part exhibition curated by Antwaun Sargent. Following the presentation in Beverly Hills this summer, this iteration will be on view at the gallery in Hong Kong from September 10 to November 2, 2024. Social Abstraction in Hong Kong features new works by Kevin Beasley, Allana Clarke, Cy Gavin, Alteronce Gumby, Lauren Halsey, Kahlil Robert Irving, Devin B. Johnson, Rick Lowe, Eric N. Mack, Cameron Welch, and Amanda Williams—many of whom have never before exhibited in Asia.

Social Abstraction centers on experimental approaches taken by an intergenerational group of Black artists who use abstraction to address culture, perception, and our place in the universe. Working in a wide range of mediums—from oil and acrylic paint to ceramics, mosaic, resin, hair glue, wigs, and textiles—they move beyond exclusively formal considerations to engage with themes of identity, sociability, and lived experience.

An untitled canvas from 2023 by Rick Lowe combines elements of painting and collage in complex networks that resemble cityscapes as well as games of dominoes seen from above. Linked to the roots of Lowe’s practice in civic transformation, these abstractions facilitate his meditations on urban geography and communal interrelationships. The velvety layers of dusky colors in CandyLadyBlack (I Can Feel It When You Walk) (2023) by Amanda Williams are inspired by the hues, textures, and tastes of candy. Evoking joy and nostalgia, the painting emerged from a series that pays tribute to the “Candy Lady,” a fixture of Black American neighborhoods who sells sweets to children.