Grace Weaver • Neues Museum Nürnberg • 30.06.2023–16.06.2024
Young, dynamic, and constantly busy, Grace Weaver’s protagonists (predominantly women) feel very familiar to us. Working in mostly rich colours and with sweeping lines, the American artist paints and draws everyday scenes from a female, urban cosmos. In one of its galleries, the Neues Museum presents a broad overview of Weaver’s work since 2019, featuring around 20 pieces from the Stadler Collection.
Emblems of a Young, Modern World
Her works tell stories of friendship and connection, depicting young people interacting while playing sports, partying, or shopping. She portrays communication via smartphone just as she does shared car rides. When the artist focuses on individual figures, she is interested in everyday rituals or moments of concentration and self-scrutiny. The recurring figures of young, long-haired women – who devote time to self-care, wear stylish clothes, and exude confidence – become emblems of a modern, urban world. Yet, this does not mean these figures are carefree or free of problems; the protagonists often look serious or somewhat strained, and the images leave open how the situation might unfold.
Dynamic Style
Grace Weaver constructs her works using flat planes of colour, and her figures are characterised by a cubic physique. Drawing is just as important to her as painting; consequently, the exhibition features watercolours, gouaches, and charcoal drawings alongside numerous oil paintings. In the charcoal works especially, the artist successfully heightens the scene’s dynamism through overpainting and smudging techniques. In 2021, she altered her technique, moving away from crisp outlines and incorporating more dark and blended colours. Nevertheless, her signature figurative style remains instantly recognisable. Her references to art history – including Henri Matisse, Fernand Léger, and Pablo Picasso – are also clearly evident.
Grace Weaver was born in Vermont, US, in 1989 and now lives in Berlin. In Germany, her work has been featured in solo museum exhibitions in Oldenburg and Erlangen (2019) and in Reutlingen (2017). The Stadler Collection – the source of all the works on loan – includes a substantial body of work spanning all phases of the artist’s career.