“Behind the story of Papay Solomon’s 2021 exhibition ‘As We Are’”

Summary

Papay Solomon’s practice defines representation in terms of visibility. Autobiographical in content and profoundly personal in tone, Solomon extends the agency of figuration by examining what it means to see and be seen as a West African, an immigrant, and an American simultaneously. Through his virtuoso skill and nuanced compositional codes, Solomon constructs pictures that challenge our notions of otherness, champion alterity, and ask viewers to celebrate inclusion.