The article profiles New Orleans artist Andrew Lamar Hopkins and his new exhibition "Her Way, His Way" at the Orleans Gallery on Julia Street. The show pairs Hopkins' contemporary folk-inspired works with paintings by the late, legendary Louisiana folk artist Clementine Hunter, who died in 1988. Hopkins, now 48, draws directly from Hunter's subjects—such as wildflower bouquets and pecan harvesting scenes—creating a dialogue between two artists who never met. The piece also traces Hopkins' career trajectory from a self-taught history nerd in Mobile, Alabama, to a rising star with works displayed in Venice during the Venice Biennale.
The exhibition matters because it bridges generations of Southern folk art, highlighting how a younger artist can honor and extend the legacy of a canonical figure like Clementine Hunter. Hunter, born on a plantation after slavery, became one of Louisiana's most famous artists through her unschooled, authentic depictions of rural life. Hopkins, with his deep knowledge of Creole history and his own naive-yet-sophisticated style, represents a new wave of folk art that is gaining international attention. The show underscores the enduring power of regional, self-taught art traditions and their ability to resonate in global contexts like the Venice Biennale.