Nickola Pottinger presents her first solo museum exhibition, "fos born," at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut, curated by chief curator Amy Smith-Stewart. The show features Pottinger's emotive, organic sculptures called "duppies," inspired by Jamaican folklore and her West Indian upbringing in Brooklyn. Constructed from recycled materials like furniture, bones, bird cages, and pigmented paper pulp made from family documents and rubble, the works explore themes of cultural identity, motherhood, and the duality of post-colonial existence. The exhibition centers on the recent birth of Pottinger's daughter, Zora, with pieces like "Give tanks and praises" (2025) incorporating a cast of the artist's pregnant torso.
The exhibition matters because it marks a significant milestone for Pottinger, a rising artist whose work bridges personal history and broader cultural narratives. By transforming discarded materials into haunting, talismanic figures, Pottinger challenges traditional sculpture and invites viewers into a deeply intimate exploration of identity, memory, and becoming. The show also highlights the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum's commitment to showcasing innovative, emerging artists and their evolving practices, with Pottinger's intuitive, hands-on process offering a fresh perspective on contemporary sculpture.