Gagosian Gallery Presents the Work of Titus Kaphar for the First Time in Paris
Gagosian Paris is currently hosting Titus Kaphar’s first ever exhibition in France, “The Fire This Time.” The show features new paintings and wood sculptures that explore the impact of history and representation on collective memory. The title is inspired by James Baldwin’s masterpiece, The Fire Next Time (1963), about the civil rights movement and the author’s rejection of American racial politics, as well as Jesmyn Ward’s anthology, The Fire This Time (2017), which transposes these themes to contemporary America.
Kaphar reflects on the symbolic role of the American presidency. As the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaches and in the context of the “No Kings” protests, he pays tribute and makes amends by highlighting marginalized figures. In several new canvases, he revisits the formats and media of the paintings that made him famous, continuing the formal dialogues that anchor his practice. These portraits depict individuals who gravitated around the founding presidents of the United States but were relegated to the margins of historical archives. By bringing them into the spotlight, Kaphar emphasizes their presence and power to act, restoring dignity to individuals whose stories have been erased or obscured.
Finally, the exhibition also presents for the first time a major series of hand-carved wooden sculptures depicting friends and family members, “saints” who have supported the artist in his personal life. Influenced by Byzantine and Italian Renaissance art and inspired by a transformative trip to Florence, each sculpture is burnt to seal the wood and decorate the surface.
A spectacular body of work that has impressed India Mahdavi, Sarah Andelman, Janine Cirincione, Dwayne Betts, and many others.
Photos : Astrid Staes
