HENI is delighted to present Thank You God, 40 new works on paper by acclaimed American artist Wes Lang. The series develops the contemplative style of Lang's works on paper through a reinterpretation of one of the artist’s recurring motifs: the bird.
The artworks are acrylic, crayon, pencil and oil pastel on paper and are presented in a walnut veneer frame. The works measure 68.6 x 87.9 cm (framed) and each artwork is signed on the verso by Wes Lang.
The Thank You God works are available by application from 13 October 2025.
Lang makes birds – which he has described as guides to happiness – the centre of Thank You God, capturing a variety of species in different stages of movement and flight. His depictions of birds coincide with internal reflections and his embrace of spirituality as he was preparing for a new child. Lang’s use of birds to explore this period of preparation gained new resonance when, in the midst of making the Thank You God works, a bird’s nest was built outside a window of his home. Lang describes watching the mother bird plan for and raise her own children as a powerful source of inspiration.
The works in Thank You God, produced in 2025, are populated by various types of birds, skulls and flowers as well as cursive text. Lang has long depicted birds, using it as symbols for positivity, hope and people in his life. The motif is drawn from memories of his grandmother who loved birds and particularly bluebirds, which became a major subject in his work after she died. In these new works he returns to birds as a symbol for somebody who hasn’t been born yet – his newest child, who was born two days after Lang completed the series. Reflecting on the process of making Thank You God, Lang says, ‘These [works] helped me navigate the anticipation, joy, fear and all the other feelings that go along with a new child coming.’
American artist Wes Lang creates provoking artworks, primarily on canvas and paper and featuring a universe of striking characters, that intend to inspire and motivate. Populating his works with everything from skulls, grim reapers and country music icons to flora, birds and horses, Lang’s imagery has the capacity to reach a wide-ranging audience but is nonetheless deeply personal.
Lang’s work can be found in notable international collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Damien Hirst’s collection. He lives and works in Los Angeles.
You can buy exclusive catalogues, apparel, accessories and more from our Wes Lang collections, Thank You God and The Black Paintings, on the HENI shop. More items will be released in the coming days.
Select merch and books will also be available at HENI Gallery.
The Thank You God works are on display at HENI Gallery until 27 October 2025. Admission to the gallery is free.
HENI Gallery
Address: 6–10 Lexington Street, London W1F 0LB,
Exhibition dates: 13–27 October 2025
Opening hours: 13–19 October, Monday to Sunday, 10am–6pm | 20–27 October, Monday to Friday, 10am–6pm