Deborah Roberts: What about us?

Stephen Friedman Gallery in New York is currently home to Deborah Roberts: What about us? Roberts is celebrated for depicting Black children and adults alike, dressed in bright colours and patterns against white or black backdrops. Her fragmented figures are a mixture of collages and paintings, offering a resistance while exploring the complexity of Black subjecthood in relation to race, identity, politics and society.

In her work and in this exhibit, the Austin-born artist deconstructs stereotypes perpetuated by mainstream (visual) culture. Combining varying skin tones, facial features, hairstyles and clothing, Roberts presents an expansive, multifaceted view of Blackness.

The white background of Roberts’ compositions previously emphasized the constant presence of the white gaze. This absence of context used to create a place for her subjects to exist freely within a space devoid of history, prejudice, and monolithic ideas of the Black experience. In this new body of work, we see them own the space with greater confidence; close-crops and large-scale formats highlight their individuality and expressive gestures, reflecting a growing feeling of self-assurance.

Deborah Roberts, 'Look how you shine', 2023. Mixed media and collage on canvas, 213.4 x 213.4cm (84 x 84in). Copyright Deborah Roberts. Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery. Photo by Paul Bardagjy.

Deborah Roberts, 'I come alone', 2023. Mixed media and collage on canvas, 177.8 x 177.8cm (70 x 70in). Copyright Deborah Roberts. Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery. Photo by Paul Bardagjy.

Deborah Roberts, 'Girl / woman forever a work in progress', 2023. Mixed media and collage on canvas, 139.7 x 317.5cm (55 x 125in). Copyright Deborah Roberts. Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery. Photo by Paul Bardagjy.

Deborah Roberts: What about us? is open at Stephen Friendman Gallery until 22nd December.