(Updated at 11:40 a.m. on 8/30/2022) Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art in Reston will feature the first-ever solo exhibition of figurative painter Dominic Chambers next month.
The exhibit, “What Makes the Earth Shake,” takes its inspiration from literature — especially the genre of magical realism and the symbolism of the veil. The exhibit, which runs from Sept. 10 through Nov. 20, highlights the “surreal conditions pervading black life.”
“The veil, a product of racial injustice serving as a metaphorical lens through which black bodies are observed and experienced, appear throughout the artist’s work such akin the large swatch of color that obscure the figures,” event organizers said.
Chambers was born in 1993 in St. Louis and works in New Haven, Connecticut. His work features vibrant paintings that explore art historical models, color field theory, contemporary concerns about race, identity and the importance of leisure.
Here’s more from Tephra on Chambers’ background:
Chambers’ work can be found in a number of private and public collections, including the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami, Miami, NY; Green Family Foundation, Dallas, TX; Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles, CA; and Pérez Art Museum, Miami, FL. He is represented by Lehmann Maupin Gallery in New York, NY and Luce Gallery in Torino, Italy.
An opening reception and artist talk is planned on Sept. 10 from 6-8 p.m. The institute’s executive director and curator, Jaynelle Hazard, will also attend the artist talk and opening reception. RSVPs are also encouraged via email at rsvp@tephraica.org.
