Courtesy of David Zwirner
David Zwirner Gallery is hosting an exhibition of new and recent work by Njideka Akunyili Crosby at its 519 West 19th Street location in September 2023. This presentation, debuting in New York, follows its initial display at David Zwirner Los Angeles in May 2023.
Njideka Akunyili Crosby, originally from Nigeria, moved to the United States in 1999, and her artwork reflects her diverse cultural background and life experiences. Through meticulous layering of painted depictions and photographic transfers from personal archives and mass media sources, Akunyili Crosby creates visually rich tapestries, vividly portraying personal and societal aspects of contemporary life while exploring African diasporic identity intricacies.
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| ▲ Installation view, Njideka Akunyili Crosby: Coming Back to See Through, Again, David Zwirner, New York, 2023, Courtesy of David Zwirner |
The exhibited works showcase multiple places and times within single compositions. Doorways, screens, posters, and windows act as devices opening into various worlds, ranging from private interior spaces to lively Nigerian markets. One notable work, "Still You Bloom in This Land of No Gardens (2021)," exemplifies the depth and surface tension created by the treatment of paint and photographic transfers. The exhibition also includes new works from Akunyili Crosby's series, "The Beautyful Ones," commenced in 2012, focusing on children she observed and photographed in Nigeria.
Akunyili Crosby's works often prominently feature vegetation and plant life, underscoring their cultural and historical significance. Some of these artworks were part of the artist's 2022 solo exhibition at the Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, and are characterized by their unique visual and formal lattices. The exhibition also offers a limited edition screenprint by the artist in collaboration with Victoria Miro, published by Highpoint Editions.
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| ▲ Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Still You Bloom in This Land of No Gardens, 2021 (detail), Courtesy of David Zwirner |
Additionally, David Zwirner Books plans to release a large-scale monograph on Njideka Akunyili Crosby in 2024, further exploring her artistic journey and contributions.
Njideka Akunyili Crosby, born in Enugu, Nigeria, in 1983, currently resides and works in Los Angeles. She received an honorary doctorate from Swarthmore College in May 2019 and was awarded a 2017 MacArthur Fellowship. Her remarkable career is marked by numerous accolades, including the Prix Canson in 2016, Next Generation Prize by the New Museum in 2015, Joyce Alexander Wein Artist Prize in 2015, and the James Dicke Contemporary Artist Prize by The Smithsonian American Art Museum in 2014, among others. From 2011 to 2012, she served as an Artist in Residence at The Studio Museum in Harlem. Akunyili Crosby has been represented by David Zwirner since 2018.
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| ▲ Installation view, Njideka Akunyili Crosby: Coming Back to See Through, Again, David Zwirner, New York, 2023, Courtesy of David Zwirner |
Her extensive body of work has been showcased in solo exhibitions at various esteemed venues worldwide. Some notable exhibitions include those at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas (2018–2019); National Portrait Gallery, London (2018–2019); Baltimore Museum of Art (2017–2018); Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida (2016); and Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (2015). She also participated in the 58th Venice Biennale in 2019. Her work is part of significant museum collections, such as the Baltimore Museum of Art; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; and Tate, UK, among others.
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