Naudline Pierre at James Cohan
By Emma Hapner, October 1, 2024
Early in September, during one of the busiest weeks in the New York City art scene, I had the privilege of immersing myself in an array of remarkable exhibitions. From solo shows to art fairs and group displays, I was surrounded by an incredible wealth of artwork. One exhibition that has lingered in my thoughts is a captivating solo presentation by one of my favorite artists, Naudline Pierre. James Cohan recently unveiled The Mythic Age, showcasing a stunning collection of new paintings and sculptural interventions by the artist. This exhibition is on view from September 6 through October 19, 2024, at the gallery’s 48 Walker Street location. Notably, this marks Pierre's second solo exhibition with James Cohan. This show was an unforgettable experience and I have not stopped talking about it since visiting.
Installation view, Naudline Pierre, The Mythic Age, James Cohan
Growing up in a family with strong religious beliefs, Pierre developed a deep connection to fantastical realms and celestial beings from a young age. In her studio, she engages with the characters that inhabit her spiritual world, sharing their stories as a way to express both her creativity and emotions. In this sense, transformation lies at the heart of Naudline Pierre’s artistic practice, embodying a profound evolution of the self and a metamorphosis of the female form. Her work evokes a transcendent escape from the confines of earthly existence into a luminous, otherworldly realm, and brings to mind mythological wind spirits. The materiality of her paintings oscillates between fresco-like dry brushing and fluid, aqueous gestures, creating a dynamic interplay of texture and motion.
NAUDLINE PIERRE, A Remembering, 2024, Oil on canvas
In Pierre's scenes, a sense of perpetual change prevails, enveloping viewers in mystery and ecstatic potential. Her characters have limbs and wings that stretch beyond the confines of the canvas, suggesting that this atmospheric world—void of a horizon line—extends infinitely into the unknown. Each brushstroke invites exploration, beckoning us to embrace the transformation that lies just beyond our reach. Also notable is her color palette, a harmonious mingling of earth tones with bolder hues of red, contrasted with the rich black hair of many of her characters, which may be a subtle allusion to her own portrait.
Each piece is a celestial invitation to look closer, and this inspection is rewarded with the discovery of hidden details, like small faces in the clouds that nearly melt away in the wind. All of these details, along with the artists fantastical imagery, reveal her interest in art history. Pierre revitalizes and reinterprets a wide range of art historical references that span centuries, deliberately looking back to artists who never envisioned her as their viewer. Despite this, these artists shared a common goal: to reinvent and reimagine the universe. In her latest works, Pierre draws inspiration from Baroque and 19th-century French academic painting, which paved the way for modernity and embraced iconography for personal, political, and radical self-expression.
She boldly engages with this predominantly male, European tradition of image-making, creating a connection between artists from diverse backgrounds. Through this approach, she transforms historical themes to resonate with a contemporary audience.
Artist Naudline Pierre
Naudline Pierre was born in 1989 in Leominster, MA, and currently lives and works in New York City, NY. The artist received her BFA from Andrews University and later her MFA from the New York Academy of Art. Through painting and sculpture, Pierre crafts an alternate reality filled with burning landscapes and otherworldly creatures. Drawing inspiration from personal history, religious iconography, and medieval and Renaissance works of art, the artist reframes tradition through a more secular and personal lens, centering themes of community, transcendence, and transformation.
