Vasari Art Codex

rate_review review schedule Apr 6, 2026 visibility 9 link 3 artists, 2 galleries

The Unbearable Strangeness of Being

South African artist Cinga Samson makes his New York debut at White Cube with "Ukuphuthelwa," an exhibition of haunting, large-scale oil paintings. The works feature figures with distinctive white pupils engaged in enigmatic rituals within dark, crepuscular landscapes. Drawing from the isiXhosa concept of spiritual alertness during sleeplessness, Samson’s compositions blend the palpable with the unearthly, often depicting scenes that feel choreographed yet remain stubbornly illegible to the Western gaze.

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rate_review review schedule Mar 26, 2026 visibility 6 link 4 artists, 2 galleries

Beacons in a Grim World

Two concurrent solo exhibitions at Alexander Berggruen Gallery feature the work of artists Kevin McNamee-Tweed and Tajh Rust. McNamee-Tweed presents enigmatic, tenderly absurd ceramic scenes, while Rust debuts in New York with figurative paintings that explore perception and Black identity through portraits of leisure and experimental silvered glass works.

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rate_review review schedule Apr 5, 2026 visibility 5 link 10 artists, 2 galleries

Exhibition Review and Studio Visit Feature: Contemporary Color Field Painter Vanessa Johansson

Contemporary painter Vanessa Johansson recently debuted her solo exhibition at the Sky Garden Penthouse in Gramercy Park, New York. Curated by Jenny Mushkin Goldman of Agency Esta, the show featured Johansson’s large-scale acrylic on canvas works, which utilize fluid, transparent layers to evoke the spiritual and visual language of mid-20th-century Color Field abstraction. Pieces such as the triptych 'Windows' and the diptych 'Flow State' demonstrate her intuitive approach to motion, buoyancy, and orbital forms.

newspaper Whitehot Magazine of Contemporary Art open_in_new Read original

rate_review review schedule Apr 7, 2026 visibility 5 link 5 artists, 1 gallery

In “Discipline,” Larissa Pham Explores Predatory Art-World Mentorship

Larissa Pham’s debut novel, Discipline, follows Christina, a young writer and former painter grappling with the psychological aftermath of a formative affair with her art professor, Richard. Set against the backdrop of a book tour for her own autofictional novel, the narrative uses Christina’s observations of art—ranging from Helen Frankenthaler to Edward Hopper—to slowly peel back the layers of a relationship defined by power imbalances and predatory mentorship.

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rate_review review schedule Apr 1, 2026 visibility 6 link 1 gallery

A Palestinian-American Photographer’s Intimate Gaze

Photographer Dean Majd presents his solo debut exhibition, "Hard Feelings," at BAXTER ST at the Camera Club of New York. The show compiles a decade of intimate photographs documenting his inner circle of skateboarders and graffiti writers in Queens, a community he joined after the death of his childhood friend James. The work captures communal joys, rites of passage, and the dangers of their lifestyle, while also serving as a dedication to his friend Suba, who died from an accidental overdose in 2020.

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rate_review review schedule Apr 13, 2026 visibility 6

REVIEW: Now is not forever, when art mimics reality

Theresa-Anne Mackintosh’s solo exhibition, "Now is not Forever," recently debuted at the Wits Art Museum (WAM), featuring a provocative blend of older paintings and new sculptures. The show centers on anthropomorphic figures and the erasure of senses, notably in the "hear no evil, see no evil, do no evil" series, where body parts are painted over to symbolize the avoidance of moral decay. These works, alongside vivid sculptures representing the artist's alter egos, challenge viewers to look past aesthetic surfaces to confront the inherent chaos and dysfunction of contemporary society.

newspaper Wits Vuvuzela open_in_new Read original

rate_review review schedule Mar 13, 2026 link 10 artists

critical reduction the 2014 whitney biennial 5409

The 2014 Whitney Biennial has debuted with a controversial three-curator structure, tasking Michelle Grabner, Stuart Comer, and Anthony Elms with organizing separate floors of the museum. This meta-review aggregates the initial critical reception from major publications, noting that the fragmented format has forced critics to evaluate the exhibition as three distinct shows rather than a unified vision.

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