Valincy-Jean Patelli: How Do You Say Grace?

November 29, 2017 – January 8, 2018 - New York, NY

Jenn Singer Gallery presents How Do You Say Grace?, a solo exhibition of new work by Valincy-Jean Patelli inspired by Grace Jones and on view exclusively via Artsy.

Valincy-Jean Patelli sees Grace Jones as a living goddess, mother of strength and beauty and an intersection of masculinity, femininity and polarity. In her youth, Patelli was drawn in by Grace's androgyny and her own curiosity about sexuality and otherness, particularly as it pertains to blackness:

“Throughout my teens and adulthood, her authenticity and boldness had an immense effect on how I learned to navigate my posture while defining my identity. Constantly inspired by her music and larger than life personality, my portraits of Grace Jones attempt to capture her essence while maintaining a formal nod to her iconic imagery.”

In her newest figurative and abstract paintings, Patelli uses acrylics and spray paint to capture the spirit of Grace Jones and her embodiment of the other as it expresses duality.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Valincy-Jean Patelli lives and works in Brooklyn, NY and Berlin, Germany. Her process begins with stories from her ancestors, blending them with historical and pop culture references from the Black American diaspora. Inspired by what has been handed down through generations, her artifacts and heirlooms offer radical, ardent storytelling with imagery that is classical and visceral in effect.

Using three-dimensional texture and bold color phrasing, Patelli’s paintings and sculptures are non-literal, intuitive and marked by light. She mixes traditional materials with non-traditional techniques, which include works on paper, wood and canvas, using twine, metal, plaster, acrylic and spray paint to create layers of texture.