Awol Erizku

Why this artist matters now

In his wildly inventive practice, Awol Erizku rejects Eurocentric notions of beauty and art history—then builds his own unique Afrocentric aesthetic. Through photography, sculpture, installation, and works on paper, Erizku’s major motifs include African masks, the bust of Nefertiti, and imagery related to the Black Panthers, nail salons, and trap music. The Ethiopian-born, Los Angeles–based artist attended Cooper Union before receiving his MFA from Yale. While Erizku has exhibited at a number of galleries in New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Brussels, he is perhaps best known for his regal photographs of Beyoncé, which the star posted on Instagram in 2017 to announce her pregnancy. Erizku has riffed on Renaissance portraiture, Dutch still lifes, and Donald Judd’s Minimalist stacks; he gives these art historical icons a contemporary Afrocentric makeover.

Source: Sean Kelly · Trust score: 100% · Updated 2mo ago