MIGUEL ÁNGEL PAYANO JR.

Miguel Ángel Payano Jr. has developed a unique artistic language around what he calls ‘heavy collages,’ where sculptural elements and readymade objects populate and protrude from canvases that deftly portray individuals and landscapes. He consciously challenges cultural preconceptions, a knack that stems from his unique identity as a Dominican-American New Yorker, who built an artistic career over nearly two decades studying, working, and living in Beijing. In recent years he has expanded his material lexicon and refined his painterly technique, in works rife with linguistic cues, social commentary, and visual slippages. His vibrant yet tightly controlled images burst with meaning, gesturing in different directions while stopping short of literal reference or allegory. This exhibition, Payano’s first institutional solo show, presents a major selection of new works created since he began working between Beijing and New York during the pandemic, alongside older works that chart the development and emergence of his singular vision and talent. The exhibition is curated by UCCA Director Philip Tinari.