May 5 through September 3, 2023
An exploration of extravagance, femininity, and Black culture.
Elizabeth Colomba uses classical techniques and themes to reimagine Greek myths, historical narratives, and autobiographical details with a contemporary lens. The exhibition includes oil paintings, works on paper, and Colomba’s first video work, Cendrillon, commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera. The film, an adaptation of the fable Cinderella, exemplifies Colomba’s aesthetic exploration of extravagance and femininity. Employing the visual language of portraiture, the artist addresses both the presence and absence of the Black figure in the history of academic painting. Through her practice, Colomba investigates the complexities of her Black, Caribbean, and European identities.
Elizabeth Colomba was born in Épinay-sur-Seine, France, and attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. She currently lives and works in New York City. Her work is included in the collections of the Park Avenue Armory, the Princeton University Art Museum, and The Studio Museum in Harlem. This exhibition is co-curated by Monique Long, Independent Curator, and Shalini Le Gall, Chief Curator and Susan Donnell and Harry W. Konkel Curator of European Art.
