In the midst of the ever-changing and often corporate-produced archetypes of the modern woman, the paintings and drawings of Grace Weaver tell honest stories which are in equal parts revealing and introspective. The artist often works with the concept of the watched female—sometimes joined by a male onlooker or captured in a net of social interactions—navigating the complexities of urban life. Like a psychological archive of daily activities, Weaver’s work mainly chronicles female experiences, in both the private and public realm. Painting only from a physical scale that matches or supersedes her own, Weaver imagines figures which are long-limbed and heavily layered with color, both confronting and relating to the viewer. Abounding with art historical references spanning from Mannerism to Rococo, Weaver’s compositions revive and challenge the tradition of genre painting in contemporary form. Communicating themes of the mundane, the melancholic and the emotional, Weaver takes that which is personal, transforming it into universally recognizable visual narratives.
Grace Weaver lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. Solo exhibitions of the artist’s work have been held in international institutions including Oldenburger Kunstverein; Kunstpalais Erlangen; Kunstverein Reutlingen; and Dakshina Chitra, Chennai. Weaver’s work has also been exhibited in group exhibitions including Braunsfelder, Cologne; Wilhelm Hallen, Berlin; Miettinen Collection, Berlin; Neue Galerie, Gladbeck; Villa Merkel, Esslingen; Kunstmuseum Ravensburg; Galerie Wedding, Berlin; ARoS Aarhus Art Museum, Aarhus; University of Georgia; Burlington City Arts; Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Burlington; Colburn Gallery, University of Vermont, Burlington; and Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne.
[Excerpted from Galerie Max Hetzler website: maxhetzler.com]