Lehmann Maupin is pleased to announce its representation of artist Todd Gray. Based between Los Angeles, California and Akwidaa, Ghana, Gray is known for his photo assemblages that critically examine ideas of African diaspora, colonialism, societal power structures, and dominant cultural beliefs. With an eye informed by his four decade career as a photographer, Gray’s work aims to destabilize assumptions about the veracity of photography and provoke reconsiderations of the medium. In 2023, Lehmann Maupin presented Gray’s first solo exhibition in the United Kingdom at the gallery’s London space. In December, the artist will debut new works with Lehmann Maupin at Art Basel Miami Beach. Gray will continue to work with David Lewis gallery in New York.
“Through his lens, Todd Gray explores the connections between history, race, and the human experience, crafting a narrative that demands thoughtful reflection,” shares Rachel Lehmann, co-founder. “His presence in the program enriches our gallery's commitment to representing artists who challenge, inspire, and contribute significantly to the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary art.”
“I have long admired Lehmann Maupin’s program and am delighted to be joining such a versatile and multidisciplinary group of artists,” shared Gray. “After experiencing the care and thoroughness shown throughout the run of my exhibition at their London gallery, I’m eager to join in and expand my practice even further.”
Gray’s signature style is influenced by the appropriation strategy of the Pictures Generation and Pop Art’s acknowledgement of popular imagery and commerce as drivers of so-called high culture. Ranging in scale from the domestic to the monumental—with the largest work to-date spanning over 30 feet—Gray’s work fuses seemingly disparate visual references into a layered synthesis that reveals a fuller picture of the sites and subjects he portrays. Stacking found frames on top of one another—from simple wood to ornate, rococo pieces—Gray deliberately obscures certain elements of his photographs and strikes a delicate balance between revealing and concealing his subject matter. By intertwining historical imagery with pictures of the present, from imperial European gardens, Baroque architecture, and Ghanian landscapes to rock icons, seascapes, and self-portraits, the artist reminds us that the realities of our contemporary world are shaped by those of our collective past.
Gray has been featured in many notable museum exhibitions including the Whitney Biennial in 2019 and the Hammer Museum’s Made in LA exhibition in 2016. More recently, Gray completed his fellowship at the American Academy in Rome, as one of the winners of the prestigious 2022–23 Rome Prize and Italian Fellowships. His work is also represented in numerous museum collections including the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA; The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA; the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia; and the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Canada, among others.
Artist portrait by Brian Guido