REGINALD MADISON

Early Life and Background

Madison grew up in Chicago, immersed in a vibrant creative atmosphere shaped by his parents’ love of jazz and contemporary art. He is largely self-taught, and his early exposure to musical legends such as Sun Ra, who he watched play at the legendary Club DeLisa on Chicago’s south side, alongside visits to the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, informed both his visual vocabulary and experimental approach. Madison travelled and studied in Paris, Venice, and Copenhagen before settling in Western Massachusetts. He now lives and works in Hudson, New York.

Reginald Madison Artworks

Reginald Madison’s art features vivid, earthy palettes and abstract forms, often referencing his extensive knowledge of textiles and infusing his compositions with the improvisational spirit of free jazz. His practice is recognised for its distinctive use of rags, handprints, and custom brushwork, which lends a tactile, intimate quality to his paintings and sculptures.

Madison’s most recent works continue to foreground his experimental process, documented in numerous solo and group shows since 2024. His refined palette—lime greens, salmon pinks, bright blues, and earthy matte finishes—anchors a visual language that resists sheen, favouring tactile immediacy. Abstract and textile motifs recur alongside references to Suprematism and free jazz improvisation, especially as inspired by Sun Ra and his Arkestra

Reginald Madison key points

• Participation in an exhibition at ‘Art & Soul’, Chicago, which helped establish him in the city’s emerging art scene, 1969. He was awarded a juried for his contribution.
• Self-taught practice refined by travel across Paris, Venice, and Copenhagen.
• After he moved to Western Massachusetts in the 1970s, he began showing with Phyllis Kind Gallery, NYC, going on to show at University of Chicago Smart Museum of Art, Ace Hotel Chicago, Historic Hudson Hall, CR10 Arts, SEPTEMBER Gallery, False Flag Gallery, and Rachel Uffner Gallery among others.
• Series featuring biomorphic abstraction and textile motifs
• Influence evident from Suprematism and the improvisatory language of jazz, especially Sun Ra.
• Curated Art & Soul exhibition, Historic Hudson Hall, 2020, which included the work of David Hammons and Tschabalala Self, among others.
• In 2021, he was a 2021 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Residency at Basilica Hudson.
• His work is in the collection of Beth Rudin DeWoody, Museum at UC Santa Barbara, and The Baltimore Museum of Art. Madison currently lives and works in Hudson, NY.

Select Awards and Accolades

• NEA Artist Residency, Basilica Hudson, 2021
• Awards for contributions to ‘Art & Soul’ and Chicago’s art scene.

Reginald Madison Exhibitions

Reginald Madison has been the subject of both solo and group exhibitions at notable institutions and galleries. Below is a selection:

• Lucid Dreamer, Uffner & Liu, 2024
• My flaws are my pets, SEPTEMBER Gallery, 2022
• Phyllis Kind Gallery, New York, ‘Art & Soul’, Chicago, 1969’Art & Soul’, Historic Hudson Hall, 2020
• Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago Museum of Fine Arts
• The Baltimore Museum of Art

To be kept up to date with upcoming exhibitions featuring Reginald Madison follow him on Ocula. You can also view his exhibitions on Ocula.

More Reading

Reginald Madison’s practice has been featured in leading magazines, Madison’s work has been covered by The New York Times, Times Union, Two Coats of Paint, Upstate Diary, and Whitehot Magazine.

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Ocula | 2025