On her large-scale canvases and murals, Julie Mehretu layers, erases, and relayers ink, pencil, and acrylic paint (sometimes sprayed or screen-printed) in a manner that conjures the dynamism of the Futurists, the scale and physicality of Abstract Expressionism, and the divergent mark-making of Albrecht Dürer, Eastern calligraphy, and graffiti. Mehretu uses her eclectic mix of styles to explore the history and politics of the urban environment; her source material has included architectural plans, city maps, and photographs, which she has transposed onto her massive canvases via projection. Mehretu graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and has received the MacArthur Fellowship, the American Art Award granted by the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the U.S. Department of State Medal of Arts. She’s been the subject of solo shows at the Guggenheim Museum, the Walker Art Center, and the Whitney, among other institutions, and has been featured in international showcases including the 2019 Venice Biennale, Documenta 13 (2012), and the 2004 Whitney Biennial. At auction, Mehretu’s work regularly sells for seven-figure prices.
Ethiopian-American, b. 1970