Firelei Báez presents her first New York exhibition with Hauser & Wirth, featuring a constellation of new paintings, works on paper, and large-scale bronze sculptures across two floors of the gallery's 22nd Street location. The show includes 'View of Nature' (2026), an eight-panel painting based on John Emslie's 1852 engraving, alongside bronze ciguapa figures from Dominican folklore and a series of monumental works on paper that explore atmospheric and cosmic themes.
The exhibition matters because it marks a significant moment in Báez's career, following two major solo museum exhibitions in 2025, and represents her ongoing engagement with colonial legacies and the African diaspora. By shifting toward a more atmospheric sensibility and incorporating new techniques like poured paint, Báez challenges traditional history painting conventions and expands the discourse around how bodies and nature shape human experience.