Njideka Akunyili Crosby: “The Beautyful Ones”
Njideka Akunyili Crosby: “The Beautyful Ones”
Victoria Miro presents the most recent works from Los Angeles-based artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby’s acclaimed series “The Beautyful Ones”.
Begun in 2014, Njideka Akunyili Crosby’s ongoing series “The Beautyful Ones” is comprised of portraits of Nigerian children, including members of the artist’s family, derived from personal photographs and, more recently, from images taken during her frequent visits to Nigeria, where Akunyili Crosby lived until the age of sixteen. Its title is taken from the 1968 novel by the Ghanaian writer Ayi Kwei Armah, The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born, a book whose influence endured during the artist’s adolescence in the 1990s and is still felt today. In it, the author laments the lost idealism of a generation in the 1960s for a better Africa, post-independence. In “The Beautyful Ones”, Akunyili Crosby reinstates this optimism in her own and subsequent generations while offering a powerful perspective on the complexities of a contemporary diasporic experience.
Works on view include “The Beautyful Ones” Series #8, 2018, a portrait of a young boy who, wearing a traditional agbada tunic and a serious expression, stands in a living room in front of a stack of stereo equipment. A sound system appears again in “The Beautyful Ones” Series #9, 2018, a work that depicts three children, this time less formally posed, in a domestic interior that also includes a television, photographs and books. “The Beautyful Ones” Series #6, 2018 is a work based on a found image of a girl who, wearing a school uniform of a pinafore dress and checked shirt, stands amid the desks of an empty classroom. These interior images contrast with the street scene depicted in “The Beautyful Ones” Series #7, 2018, which shows a girl, arms folded, her eyes confidently meeting the viewer’s gaze, her bright yellow T-shirt echoing the vivid hue of the taxis that surround her.
In each of these apparently everyday scenes, precise in style, crystalline in appearance, certain details draw our attention to the multifaceted character of Akunyili Crosby’s subjects: the bright tote bag with which the schoolgirl has accessorised her outfit; the outsized earrings and buttoned vest of the confident T-shirt wearing girl. Other details – a hairstyle, or the heft of an old-school hi-fi, for example – scramble a sense of time. Is this now, or the 1980s? Whose childhood are we witnessing? These details, in turn, draw us into a second wave of imagery, only truly discernible close-up. Applied using an acetone transfer technique are photographic images derived from sources including Nigerian pop culture and politics. There are references to the country’s colonial past, and to stories that appear in our newsfeeds today. Along with more personal imagery, they pervade the composition, as music might from the stereos Akunyili Crosby depicts, pulsing rhythmically across the picture plane, first as background notes then as bright accents.
It is partly through this labour-intensive process that Akunyili Crosby addresses the idea of cultural overlap and the complex layering of influences – personal, cultural, historical and political – on people, even those such as The Beautyful Ones,whose age might suggest characters and histories as yet unwritten. In this, the work resonates strongly with the western tradition of childhood portraiture, whose evolution across the centuries is broadly in line with the shifting status, and often precarious reality, of childhood itself. While portraiture is always to some degree an act of commemoration, to capture and preserve the image of a child necessitates a degree of projection and reflection – of hopes, fears, innocence or its loss – on behalf of the artist and viewer alike. The pleasures of childhood are necessarily seen through the prism of adulthood, through its own pleasures, or anxieties of which the children depicted may well remain blissfully unaware. Akunyili Crosby renders these in her complex layers. They are images of childhood freighted with adult experience.
One of the catalysts for the series is a portrait of Prince Baltasar Carlos by Diego Velázquez, which sparked in the artist a childhood memory of her sister in a similarly regal pose at her birthday party when she was around ten years old (“The Beautyful Ones” Series #1c, 2014). This short-circuiting effect of (self) recognition, how we might feel we ‘know’ somebody –through a simple glance or gesture and the way in which a painting can reach out across centuries or continents and resonate is one of the pillars of Akunyili Crosby’s art. Equally, she reminds us that, even when apparently unguarded, childhood is always a cultural construct. In some respects, The Beautyful Ones seem as coded as any royal portrait by Holbein in the sixteenth century, or Velázquez or Van Dyck in the seventeenth century. In particular, Van Dyck’s full-size portraits of royal progeny, framed by architectural motifs and enlivened with details designed to confirm status or invite narrative speculation, seem to find contemporary echoes in a work such as “The Beautyful Ones” Series #9, where, among the books and possessions sits a framed photograph of the artist, her sisters and mother.
In this sense, while “The Beautyful Ones” are culturally specific – the product of a time, place and unique set of circumstances – they speak equally of the ways in which the nature – essence, even – of time and place have altered irrevocably, variously accelerated, expanded or contracted by migration, for example, or technological advance. Moreover, they speak to the effects of this transformation on selfhood and, as a corollary, the fundamentals of what makes a true and vital portrait today. As “The Beautyful Ones” makes clear, it is not only the pose, the gesture, the way we wear our hair or rock a T-shirt, that reveals who we are, but the interleaving of history, experiences collective and individual, which we all wear, perhaps less conspicuously but, in the end, just as revealingly as the expressions on our faces or the clothes on our backs.
About the artist
Njideka Akunyili Crosby was born in Enugu, Nigeria in 1983 and currently lives and works in Los Angeles. She is the recipient of a 2017 MacArthur Fellowship and was named one of The Financial Times’ Women of the Year, 2016, alongside featuring in the Future Generation Art Prize 2017. Other prizes and awards include the Prix Canson Prize, 2016; Foreign Policy’s Leading 100 Global Thinkers of 2015; the Next Generation Prize, New Museum of Contemporary Art, 2015; the Joyce Alexander Wein Artist Prize, 2015; and the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s James Dicke Contemporary Art Prize, 2014. Recent solo exhibitions include Njideka Akunyili Crosby: “The Beautyful Ones”, National Portrait Gallery, London (2018–2019); FOCUS: Njideka Akunyili Crosby –Counterparts, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas (2018–2019); The Baltimore Museum of Art (2017–2018); Njideka Akunyili Crosby: Predecessors, Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH, which toured to Tang Museum at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY (2017); Portals, Victoria Miro, London (2016), I Refuse to be Invisible, Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach (2016) and The Beautyful Ones, Art + Practice, Los Angeles (2015), staged concurrently with a solo presentation at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (2015).
In addition, Akunyili Crosby has recently exhibited at institutional venues including the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (2016); the New Museum, New York (2015); The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York (2014); Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina (2014); Landcommandery of Alden-Biesen, Bilzen, Belgium (2014); BRIC, New York (2013); Bronx Museum, New York (2013); and the Museum of New Art Detroit (2012). Her work is in the collections of major museums including Yale University Art Gallery, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, The Studio Museum in Harlem, The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Tate, The Norton Museum of Art, Zeitz MOCAA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, MoMA, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Current public projects include an outdoor mural for MOCA Los Angeles Grand Avenue, on view until the end of February 2019; and Remain, Thriving, 2018 the first commission in a new programme at Brixton station, currently on view until April 2019.
In November 2019, Akunyili Crosby will feature in the exhibition Interiorities at Haus der Kunst, Munich. In 2020, her work will be the subject of a solo exhibition at the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut; the third in a trilogy of solo exhibitions curated by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and critic Hilton Als.
Related
-
Exhibition
Posted
February 14 2023
The Hilton Als Series: Njideka Akunyili Crosby travels to The Huntington
For this exhibition (15 Feb–12 June 2023), Als and Akunyili Crosby selected collage-based paintings from “The Beautyful Ones”, the artist’s ongoing series of intimate portraits of Nigerian children, including members of her own family. The Huntington, San Marino, California -
Exhibition
Posted
September 22 2022
The Hilton Als Series: Njideka Akunyili Crosby at Yale Center for British Art
This focused exhibition (22 September 2022–22 January 2023) of works by Njideka Akunyili Crosby is the third and final show in a series curated by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author Hilton Als. The exhibition will travel to the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California, where it will go on view in February 2023. Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut -
Exhibition
Posted
June 14 2022
Njideka Akunyili Crosby at Blanton Museum of Art
This intimate exhibition (from 23 July 2022) presents four new works by Akunyili Crosby. Still You Bloom in this Land of No Gardens, the largest work in the show, depicts the artist holding her young child on the outdoor terrace of her home, enveloped by lush plants and vines. Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, Texas -
Exhibition
Posted
April 10 2022
Afro-Atlantic Histories, featuring Njideka Akunyili Crosby, now open at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
The exhibition (10 April—17 July 2022) takes an in-depth look at the historical experiences and cultural formations of Black and African people since the 17th century. More than 130 works of art, including paintings, sculpture, photographs, and time-based media by artists from Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean, bring these narratives to life. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC -
Exhibition
Posted
July 26 2020
Works by Njideka Akunyili Crosby feature in Inner Spaces at Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens
The seventh edition of the Biennial of Painting (26 July–18 October 2020) features works that depict a wide range of inner spaces, among them the studio, the domestic interior, and the inner realm of the imagination. Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Deurle, Belgium -
News story
Posted
June 11 2020
Njideka Akunyili Crosby participates in the 2020Solidarity project
Njideka Akunyili Crosby joins the roster of artists participating in Wolfgang Tillman's foundation, Between Bridges' project aimed at helping cultural and music venues, community projects, independent spaces and publications during the current pandemic. Blend in — Stand out, 2019, is available via these venues: Cafe Oto (London), RUYA MAPS ((London), twelvebooks (Tokyo), Utrecht (Tokyo), with more to be announced. -
Event
Posted
February 17 2020
Njideka Akunyili Crosby: the Allbritton Art Institute Artist Conversation 2020
Njideka Akunyili Crosby is the subject of the Allbritton Art Institute Artist Conversation 2020. On Wednesday 19 February 2020 (5:30pm) the artist will discuss her work with critic Jason Kaufman at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. The event is free and open to the public. Baylor University, Waco, Texas -
Exhibition
Posted
November 29 2019
Interiorities, featuring Njideka Akunyili Crosby and Adriana Varejão, at Haus der Kunst, Munich
The exhibition (29 November 2019–29 March 2020) focuses on interior of the imagination, as well as with the interior as a real setting, as a private retreat or shelter, or as a space with the potential to reflect and change the social and political zeitgeist. Haus der Kunst, Munich -
News story
Posted
November 13 2019
Njideka Akunyili Crosby is featured in TIME 100 Next
The first-ever TIME 100 Next, a new expansion of the TIME 100 list of the most influential people in the world, highlights 100 rising stars who are shaping the future of art, business, entertainment, sports, politics, health, science and activism, and more. TIME -
News story
Posted
October 22 2019
Njideka Akunyili Crosby is a recipient of the 2019 African Art Award
Njideka Akunyili Crosby will be honoured alongside artist Elias Sime at a gala at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art on 25 October 2019. Washington, DC -
Event
Posted
August 22 2019
Njideka Akunyili Crosby in conversation with Siddhartha Mitter
On the occasion of the US publication of a monograph on “The Beautyful Ones”, this conversation (Sunday 8 September 2019, 3pm) between Akunyili Crosby and writer Siddhartha Mitter, who authored a new essay for the book, reflects on the series’ complex history and weaves together the social, cultural, personal and political strands of its making. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York -
Exhibition
Posted
June 18 2019
Njideka Akunyili Crosby and Wangechi Mutu feature in I Am... Contemporary Women Artists of Africa at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
Taking its name from a 1970’s feminist anthem, I Am… Contemporary Women Artists of Africa (20 June 2019–15 March 2020) draws upon a selection of artworks by women artists from the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art’s permanent collection to reveal a more contemporary feminism that recognises the contributions of women to the most pressing issues of their times. Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington, DC -
Event
Posted
June 1 2019
Njideka Akunyili Crosby and David Hilliard in conversation
This Faculty Lecture at Anderson Ranch Arts Center is free and open to the public (7pm, June 25 2019). Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Aspen -
Publications
May 14 2019
Njideka Akunyili Crosby: “The Beautyful Ones”
Njideka Akunyili Crosby: “The Beautyful Ones”Not currently available35.000 in cart -
Exhibition
Posted
May 1 2019
Njideka Akunyili Crosby and Stan Douglas are featured in La Biennale di Venezia, 58th International Art Exhibition, May You Live In Interesting Times
The 58th International Art Exhibition is curated by Ralph Rugoff and is open to the public from 11 May to 24 November 2019. Venice, Italy -
Exhibition
Posted
May 1 2019
Black Refractions: Highlights from the Studio Museum in Harlem travels to The Gibbes Museum
This major traveling exhibition (on view at The Gibbes Museum, 24 May–18 August 2019) features works by Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Isaac Julien and Wangechi Mutu. The Gibbes Museum, Charleston -
Exhibition
Posted
April 26 2019
There I Belong. Hammershøi by Elmgreen & Dragset at SMK, Copenhagen
Masterpieces by the Danish painter Vilhelm Hammershøi presented (27 April–1 September 2019) in unconventional company, juxtaposed with international contemporary art. Also included are works by Njideka Akunyili Crosby and Francesca Woodman. SMK, Copenhagen -
Profile
Posted
April 24 2019
Njideka Akunyili Crosby:“The Beautyful Ones” is included in Artsy’s must-see exhibitions in Venice during the Biennale
The show includes the latest work from her ongoing series, in which she continues to lend her figurative subjects emotional depth through deft use of found images, a rich color palette, and poignant facial expressions and gestures. Casey Lesser, Artsy -
Exhibition
Posted
March 8 2019
Njideka Akunyili Crosby features in Plumb Line: Charles White and the Contemporary
The exhibition (8 March–25 August 2019) features contemporary artists whose work in the realm of black individual and collective life resonates with Charles White’s profound and continuing influence. California African American Museum, Los Angeles -
Exhibition
Posted
January 31 2019
Njideka Akunyili Crosby features in a new exhibition of works from the Hammer Contemporary Collection
This group show (24 January–19 May 2019) highlights recent acquisitions and works from the Hammer Contemporary Collection that have never before been on view. This lively mix of painting, sculpture, drawings, and multimedia installations features the work of more than 30 international established and emerging artists. Hammer Museum, Los Angeles -
Interview
Posted
January 3 2019
Njideka Akunyili Crosby: The Modern Art Notes Podcast
In this edition of the weekly arts podcast Akunyili Crosby discusses her work and influences. The Modern Art Notes Podcast