Amy Sherald: The World We Make

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When Sherald discovered dirt bike culture after moving to Baltimore in her 20s for her MFA, it left a lasting impression. When she asked her models what they loved about riding, they explained that it gives them a sense of freedom. “I read that as freedom from oppression,” she said, when I met her shortly after the show’s installation, just in time for Frieze week. The World We Make', is a meditation on, as Sherald says, the fact that 'as we walk beyond what we have been

How does reframing historical moments through portraiture help to interrogate history, as well as reimagine present and future moments? the iconic pose through another understanding of masculinity. Sherald hopes to offer the viewer a reflection And after century upon century of figurative painting, carving out a USP is a pretty rare thing. It's made her a huge name, got her the gig to paint Michelle Obama's official portrait, and now she’s over here with her first UK show. My eyes search for people who are and who have the kind of light that provides the present and the future with hope.’ The painting ‘Kingdom’ (2022), showing a young child at the top of a slide, both asks us to look positively at future generations whilst reminding us of the transient nature of childhood and the vulnerabilities inherent to it. The title of the exhibition, ‘The World We Make’, is a meditation on, as Sherald says, the fact that ‘as we walk beyond what we have been living through, we have a world to remake’, a message that at once contains hope, while suggesting there is work to be done.Create a portrait of a close friend or family member using mediums such as photography, painting or drawing. What attitudes do you think are expressed through your portrait? What were you trying to capture when you created the portrait? Does the portrait reflect the complexities of the individual’s personality and identity? How so? American Realism American realism was a movement in art, literature and music which showed contemporary social realities and people’s everyday lives.

You see why she got the job. Amy Sherald, 49, is best known outside the art world as Michelle Obama’s portraitist. That official picture, in which the former US First Lady looks proud but wary, remains in the Smithsonian in Washington DC. But here at Hauser & Wirth in London, you can instead see a new set of paintings that flaunt their creator’s formidable skill. Even in a city full of exhibitions – Frieze Week has flooded Mayfair with prestigious artistic wares – Sherald’s first solo show in Europe looks to be one of the very best. reminding us of the transient nature of childhood and the vulnerabilities inherent to it. The title of the exhibition, Her horizons were expanded at art school, where she recalls the excitement of discovering work by contemporary artists like Jenny Saville, Hank Willis Thomas, Eric Fischl, and Odd Nerdrum—“He was my guy in grad school, I wanted to be like him!”

Her biggest adjustment has been managing her burgeoning celebrity status. “I‘ve learned to have a public persona,” Sherald says. “It’s not that it’s inauthentic. But I had to learn how to be in public.” She believes in generosity and access, themes braided into all aspects of her life and work. So, if an autograph needed to be signed, she signed it. An admirer wanted a hug? An embrace was given. But that took its toll, especially given that she is “not really an outgoing person, per se”. Floods of social demands, combined with a deluge of public events, proved exhausting. “I would get a migraine for two days because that kind of extroversion to an introvert is like physical exhaustion,” says Sherald. Sherald considers exhibiting outside the U.S. to be her greatest achievement since the triumph of her Obama portrait, describing it as a lifelong dream. I got the impression, however, that her eyes are already set on the next prize.

on the history of agriculture in art as well as ideas around land ownership and systematic land loss. With this This publication – the first widely-available monograph on the work of Amy Sherald – accompanies the artist’s solo exhibition at Hauser & Wirth London in fall 2022. Newly commissioned texts include an art historical analysis by Jenni Sorkin, a mediation on the aesthetics and politics of Sherald’s portraiture by Kevin Quashie, and a conversation between the artist and Ta-Nehisi Coates.

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The first widely available monograph on Amy Sherald accompanies this travelling exhibition, published by as motorbikes and tractors and the peaceful juxtaposition of man and machine to engage with the currents