WES LANG
The Black Paintings
The Black Paintings
From 27 September 2024 to 9 March 2025, Damien Hirst’s Newport Street Gallery and HENI will stage an exhibition of nearly 200 never-before-exhibited paintings and works on paper by the American artist Wes Lang. It will be the first exhibition of the acclaimed artist’s work in the UK.
Titled The Black Paintings, the exhibition will feature works produced between 2022 and 2024 that are populated by Lang’s distinctive group of characters, namely his favoured skeleton, but also animal-like and otherworldly beings. At times set against completely obscured, dark backgrounds, while at others lush landscapes, Lang’s compositions are story-like.
Exhibition dates: 27 September 2024 - 9 March 2025
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 – 6pm
Address: Newport Street Gallery, 1 Newport Street, London, SE11 6AJ
Admission: Free Entry
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While Lang’s paintings are dense with colour and imagery, his drawings are lighter, leaving broad and contemplative white spaces on the pages. Often, these works on paper include text, sometimes integrating phrases that echo Taoist philosophy, while other times using more personal expressions.
Text and image frequently appear to be incongruous, encouraging viewers to engage further with the works and uncover meanings for themselves. Lang is known for taking inspiration from a wide range of sources, masterfully fusing the styles of his fine art heroes with memories and imagery from childhood and culture.
About Wes Lang
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, Native American chiefs 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.
"I really wanted to sit down and make a body of work that shows people that all this noise and all these divisive faces of evil that we’re told matter don’t have to consume your mind and the way you feel about the world."
