Shaqúelle Whyte, Under the cover of night, safety belongs to me, 2023
Pippy Houldsworth Gallery is delighted to announce representation of British artist Shaqúelle Whyte (b. 2000, Wolverhampton), whose first solo exhibition with the gallery will open in April 2024. On this occasion he says, ‘there’s an incredible canon of artists making work right now. To be among those few given the platform to express themselves freely is a privilege’.
In his paintings, Whyte presents imagined spaces imbued with a sense of ambiguity that interrogate the human condition, all the while exploring the material qualities of the medium. Loosely rendered, energetic brushwork and an expansive approach to composition are hallmarks of the artist’s practice. Although non-linear, narrative plays a central role in Whyte’s work, which sees him carry certain motifs over from one painting to the next. These recurring details contribute to the sense of theatre that pervades his work; Whyte directs his subjects as though they are actors and his canvas a stage. Despite excluding himself from the work representationally, the stories he crafts reflect his everyday life and innermost thoughts. The figures in Whyte’s paintings act as conduits for his subconscious. Giving form to thought through paint, he generates a sense of introspection through his characters’ often averted or guarded faces. At once enigmatic and familiar, Whyte’s paintings evoke the surreal and shape the ephemeral, ultimately leaving his world open to the viewer’s own interpretation.
Shaqúelle Whyte (b. 2000, Wolverhampton) lives and works in London. He received a BA in Fine Art from the Slade School of Fine Art in 2022 and is currently studying an MA at the Royal College of Art. He will have his first solo exhibition at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery in April 2024. Other upcoming projects include a solo online presentation with White Cube early next year. Recent group shows include Buffer, Guts Gallery, London (2022) and Seasons in the City, curated by Artuner, Palazzo Capris, Turin (2022).
In his paintings, Whyte presents imagined spaces imbued with a sense of ambiguity that interrogate the human condition, all the while exploring the material qualities of the medium. Loosely rendered, energetic brushwork and an expansive approach to composition are hallmarks of the artist’s practice. Although non-linear, narrative plays a central role in Whyte’s work, which sees him carry certain motifs over from one painting to the next. These recurring details contribute to the sense of theatre that pervades his work; Whyte directs his subjects as though they are actors and his canvas a stage. Despite excluding himself from the work representationally, the stories he crafts reflect his everyday life and innermost thoughts. The figures in Whyte’s paintings act as conduits for his subconscious. Giving form to thought through paint, he generates a sense of introspection through his characters’ often averted or guarded faces. At once enigmatic and familiar, Whyte’s paintings evoke the surreal and shape the ephemeral, ultimately leaving his world open to the viewer’s own interpretation.
Shaqúelle Whyte (b. 2000, Wolverhampton) lives and works in London. He received a BA in Fine Art from the Slade School of Fine Art in 2022 and is currently studying an MA at the Royal College of Art. He will have his first solo exhibition at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery in April 2024. Other upcoming projects include a solo online presentation with White Cube early next year. Recent group shows include Buffer, Guts Gallery, London (2022) and Seasons in the City, curated by Artuner, Palazzo Capris, Turin (2022).
14 April 2023
