Salman Toor at the Whitney Museum of American Art

One of the most exciting new figurative painters to have emerged over the last few years is Lahore-born New Yorker, Salman Toor, whose solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art recently opened in New York and will be on view until 4 April 2021.

Toor’s interior scenes—often rendered in his unmistakable emerald green tones—depict imagined narratives heavily influenced by his own experiences as a queer Asian man living in New York. Intimate scenes of lovers kissing or talking over glowing iPhone screens combine with theatrical poses on the dance floor to conjure up an alluringly whimsical atmosphere.

Toor’s painterly mark-making and flair for figurative composition, together with his figures’ engaging facial expressions imbue these narratives with a sense of nostalgia and emotional intensity; reflecting a depth of understanding and appreciation for Expressionist and Impressionist painters from the past.

Main image: Salman Toor, The Bar on East 13th (2019). Courtesy the artist and Perrotin. Photo: Guillaume Ziccarelli.