Hauser & Wirth presents ‘Special Character’, by Lorna Simpson, on display until January 25th.

Lorna Simpson, a Brooklyn-based conceptual photographer, has been exploring themes of representation, identity, gender, race, and history since the 1980s. Her art is layered and multifaceted, using metaphor and metonymy to comment on contemporary American life.

Her ‘Special Character’ series, which began in 2019, features women’s faces from fashion and wig advertisements found in Ebony magazine. These works expose stereotypes in common imagery and feature silkscreened isolated figures against painted backgrounds. Simpson’s unique approach involves repurposing images, and creating a distinctive visual landscape that responds to American culture. Her composite portraits, such as ‘Third Person’ and ‘Z’, blend multiple versions of the same face, creating surreal, dreamlike images. Her work also rearranges visual culture elements, crafting new narratives from diverse sources. Her latest creations continue to engage audiences with their blend of figuration and abstraction, and their interplay of past and present, destruction and creation.

Hauser & Wirth, founded in Zurich in 1992, is a family-run art gallery with over 90 celebrated artists and estates. It supports innovative art projects, collaborates with curators, and supports academic research. The gallery hosts exhibitions of historical importance and engages with significant 20th-century artist estates.

Source: Hauser & Wirth