
Spaces of Subjection: Imaging Imaginations VI
2023
Spaces of Subjection: Imaging Imaginations VI presents a commanding yet intimate composition in which Meleko Mokgosi works across two distinct but related surfaces, pairing oil on canvas with charcoal on panel to produce a layered meditation on power, representation, and the construction of Black subjectivity. At a compact 81.3 by 61 centimeters, the work operates at a human scale that draws the viewer into close physical proximity, demanding attention to the nuances of mark-making and the deliberate tension Mokgosi sustains between painterly lushness and graphic austerity. This interplay of mediums is not incidental but central to his practice, where the seductive materiality of oil painting is placed in ongoing dialogue with the rawer, more archival qualities of charcoal, questioning the hierarchies embedded in Western pictorial traditions. Mokgosi, who was born in Botswana and received his MFA from UCLA, works at the intersection of cinema, philosophy, and postcolonial theory, and his large-scale narrative projects have earned him significant critical attention across international institutions. Spaces of Subjection is among his most conceptually focused series, taking its title from a framework concerned with the mechanisms through which bodies and spaces are marked by social and political forces. The sixth iteration in this body of work carries the accumulated weight of the series while functioning fully as a self-contained object, making it an exceptional entry point for collectors seeking work that engages rigorous intellectual frameworks without sacrificing visual and material presence. Signed by the artist and currently available through Jack Shainman Gallery, this work represents a meaningful opportunity to acquire a piece from a critical moment in Mokgosi's evolving inquiry. As his institutional profile continues to grow, works of this scale and specificity within a defined series occupy an increasingly significant position both within his catalogue and within broader conversations about contemporary painting and its relationship to history, identity, and representation.
- Medium
- Oil on canvas, charcoal on panel
- Overall
- Signed
- Yes
- Location
- Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY
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