Henry Curchod’s Lost and Languished Figures at CLEARING

Henry Curchod‘s large-scale paintings, in which figures attempt to conquer dreamt-up spaces, hint at hierarchical narratives occurring in the world. His works frequently depict figures in poorly fitting suits, suggesting status precarity.

For his solo exhibition, OH FORTUNA!, on view at CLEARING in New York until 9 March 2024, the American-born artist paints figures fatigued by life.

The show sets up ambiguous scenes of people and places merging into one another, where faces and hands slip between floors and walls.

In Oh Fortuna, tell me more (2023), men clad in crumpled suits appear lost and languished, their facial features muffled by rainbow hues. The mark-making on the men’s suits mirrors those on the heavily worked background, causing the figures to blend into the floor. It’s not clear who they are or why they are there—perhaps they are salarymen escaping the monotonous office life that once promised the American dream.

Each painting carries puzzling details for viewers to discover, their meaning deepening upon each viewing.

Curchod’s dexterity in handling oil and charcoal is evident in the meticulously worked surfaces of his canvases, which teem with gestural marks. His striking contrasts between hazy pastel tones and bold, dark hues intensifies the drama of each painting, notably prominent in works like Play time (2023) and Concrete elevator (2023).