Wes Lang
The Black Paintings
The Black Paintings
HENI is delighted to present The Black Paintings by acclaimed American artist Wes Lang, featuring 96 paintings and 96 works on paper that have never been exhibited before.
The paintings are acrylic on canvas and linen and range in size from 27 x 34.8 cm to 248.6 x 279 cm (framed). The drawings are acrylic, crayon and pencil on paper and come in two sizes, 67 x 87.2 cm and 87.2 x 67 cm (framed). All artworks are set within a wooden frame and signed on the back.
To coincide with the drop, HENI presents two exhibitions that will show the artworks for the first time. The paintings are on show at Damien Hirst’s Newport Street Gallery. The drawings are exhibited at the HENI Gallery.
Applications can be made through this website from 26 September.
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 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."
About The Black Paintings
The Black Paintings series features 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.
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.
Exclusive Merchandise
You can now buy exclusive apparel, posters, accessories and more from The Black Paintings collection on the HENI Merch shop. The merchandise collection will also be available at Newport Street Gallery and HENI Gallery.
The artworks on view
To coincide with the drop, HENI presents two exhibitions that will show the artworks for the first time. The paintings are on show at Damien Hirst’s Newport Street Gallery. The drawings are exhibited at the HENI Gallery. For more information, visit the exhibition page.
Newport Street Gallery
Exhibition dates: 27 September 2024 - 9 March 2025
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10am – 6pm
Address: Newport Street Gallery, 1 Newport Street, London, SE11 6AJ
Admission: Free Entry
HENI Gallery
Exhibition dates: 27 September 2024 - 22 November 2024
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10am – 6pm
Address: HENI Gallery, 6-10 Lexington St, London W1F 0LB
Admission: Free Entry
The Black Drawings editions
HENI Editions presents The Black Drawings by Wes Lang, featuring 8 unique prints based on drawings from his series The Black Paintings.
The editions are Giclée prints on Cotton Smooth Rag, set within an oak frame with UV-protected acrylic glass, and are available in two sizes: 104 x 81.4 cm and 81.4 x 104 cm. Each work is from an edition of 25 + 6 APs, hand-signed and numbered on the front.
The editions are available by application from 10 October until 21 October at 17:00 BST.
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If you have any questions, you can explore our FAQs here. If you want to get in touch, please contact customer support or ask a moderator on Discord.
HENI is delighted to present The Black Paintings by acclaimed American artist Wes Lang, featuring 96 paintings and 96 works on paper that have never been exhibited before. They are available to apply for on HENI Primary from 26 September 2024.
The paintings are acrylic on canvas and linen and range in size from 27 x 34.8 cm to 248.6 x 279 cm (framed). The drawings are acrylic, crayon and pencil on paper and come in two sizes, 67 x 87.2 cm and 87.2 x 67 cm (framed). All artworks are set within a wooden frame and signed on the back.
You can complete your application for The Black Paintings on a computer or mobile device, after which you will receive a confirmation email detailing each of the artworks you applied for.
If you want to get in touch, please contact Customer Care or ask a moderator on Discord.
Because The Black Paintings is an application-based release, HENI tries to ensure allocations are broad and fair (rather than on a ‘first come, first served’ basis) as such each application will be reviewed individually after which a member of our Client Liaison Team will be in touch to discuss further.
If you wish to apply for a specific artwork, please select ‘I have a preference’ during the application. You can submit multiple preferred artworks in case your first choice is not available. If none of your choices are available, we may offer you the opportunity to purchase a different artwork. HENI cannot guarantee that you will be offered the opportunity to buy every print you apply for.
HENI has partnered with various trusted shipping couriers for the delivery of The Black Paintings. However, if successful and should you wish to organise your own shipping or collect the artworks in person, please discuss this with your member of our Client Liaison team.
HENI aims to dispatch all the artworks within 3 weeks of the close of the exhibition. As soon as your order is ready to dispatch you will receive an email confirmation with the tracking information.
The Black Paintings are shipped from the UK and can be shipped internationally. The prices indicated are exclusive of VAT, delivery charges, insurance or any customs or import duties or local taxes that may be payable. For orders shipping to the UK, Standard Rate VAT will be applied and collected at the time of payment.
If your shipping address is outside the UK, you will be responsible for any customs or import duties and local taxes that may be payable. Where such duties or taxes are payable in respect to any works ordered, HENI does not collect and pay them on your behalf. You are responsible for paying any amounts due directly to the applicable customs authority. HENI is not able to offer any guidance on customs or import duties or local taxes, and we recommend that you contact your local customs office for details.
Should the need arise to change your delivery address it is possible; however, if you choose to deliver to a different country than initially requested, this could impact the total value of your original order. Please contact you Client Liaison Team member or complete and submit the Change of Address Request form and one of our Customer Care advisors will be in touch to confirm.
There are certain countries that HENI cannot ship to. If you would like more information or should you encounter an error during the checkout, please contact Customer Care here.
The Black Paintings are priced in US Dollars and after the allocation has taken place, successful applicants will be notified by email, and a member of the Client Liaison team will be in touch to complete the order.
The Black Paintings do not come with a Certificate of Authenticity, however each artwork is signed and detailed by the artist on the verso.
Newport Street Gallery
To coincide with the drop, the paintings will be on show for the first time at Damien Hirst’s Newport Street Gallery. The exhibition, presented by HENI, is open from 27 September 2024 to 9 March 2025
Exhibition dates: 27 September 2024 - 9 March 2025
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10am – 6pm
Address: 1 Newport Street, London, SE11 6AJ
Admission: Free Entry
HENI Gallery
The drawings from The Black Paintings will be on show at HENI Gallery. Admission to the gallery is free.
Exhibition dates: 27 September 2024 - 22 November 2024
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10am – 6pm
Address: HENI Gallery, 6-10 Lexington St, London W1F 0LB
Admission: Free Entry