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The Art World in Focus
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Nicole Eisenman

NICOLE EISENMAN

What Happened Whitechapel Gallery 11 October 2023–14 January 2024 London
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Press Release

This autumn, we present the first major UK retrospective of the artist Nicole Eisenman (b.1965, Verdun, France, lives and works in Brooklyn, New York, USA).

Nicole Eisenman: What Happened brings together over 100 works from across the artist’s three-decade career – many of which have not previously been shown in the UK. Encompassing large-scale, monumental paintings alongside sculptures, monoprints, animation and drawings, the exhibition showcases the extraordinary range and formal inventiveness that characterises her practice.

Arranged chronologically across eight sections, the exhibition illuminates the critical, yet often highly humorous approach that Eisenman uses to explore some of the most prescient socio-political issues of the day. These encompass gender, identity and sexual politics, recent civic and governmental turmoil in the United States, protest and activism, and the impact of technology on personal relationships and romantic lives.

A full colour catalogue will accompany the show alongside as a rich public programme to help further explore the themes and issues raised by the exhibition and gain additional insights into the artists’ work and practice.

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Installation Views

Nicole Eisenman, The Triumph of Poverty (2009). Oil on canvas. 165.1 x 208.3 cm. From the Collection of Bobbi and Stephen Rosenthal, New York City. Courtesy Leo Koenig Inc., New York.
Nicole Eisenman, Morning Studio (2016). Oil on canvas. 167.6 x 210.8 cm. The Hort Family Collection. Courtesy the artist and Anton Kern Gallery, New York.
Nicole Eisenman, Selfie (2014). Oil on canvas. 134.6 × 111.8 cm. Stephanie and Timothy Ingrassia. Courtesy the artist; Anton Kern Gallery, and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Robert Wedemeyer.
Nicole Eisenman, Beer Garden with Ulrike and Celeste (2009). Oil on canvas. 165.1 × 208.3 cm. Hall Collection. Courtesy Hall Art Foundation. Photo: Bryan Conley.
Jadine Collingwood on 5 Paintings by Nicole Eisenman Spotlight Jadine Collingwood on 5 Paintings by Nicole Eisenman The MCA Chicago curator dives into five paintings by Nicole Eisenman, revealing a sensitive and ultimately optimistic observer of people, politics, and place. Read the story
About the Artist

New York-based artist Nicole Eisenman (b. 1965) is a leading figure in contemporary figurative painting and sculpture, known for addressing gender, sexuality, race, labour, violence, and inequality with raw emotion and dark humour. The artist’s work spans painting, drawing, printmaking, and sculpture, and is recognised for its blend of historical references, queer politics, pop culture and satirical social observation.

View Artist Profile Nicole Eisenman contemporary artist
About the Gallery

Whitechapel Gallery is a public art gallery on Whitechapel High Street in East London, opened in 1901 as one of the city’s first publicly funded spaces for temporary exhibitions. Founded by social reformers Canon Samuel and Henrietta Barnett, the gallery was established to bring art and education to the working-class communities of the East End.

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Address
77-82 Whitechapel High Street
London
United Kingdom
Opening Hours
Tuesday – Sunday
11am – 6pm

Thursday
11am – 9pm

Closed Monday
(1)
London 77-82 Whitechapel High Street
Whitechapel Gallery contemporary art institution in London United Kingdom
Whitechapel Gallery
77-82 Whitechapel High Street, London, United Kingdom
+44 20 7522 7888
http://www.whitechapelgallery.org

Opening hours
Tuesday – Sunday
11am – 6pm

Thursday
11am – 9pm

Closed Monday
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