On September 7, R & Company will open The Gilded Ghetto, artist Roberto Lugo’s first New York solo exhibition. Over the past several years, Roberto Lugo has been recognized for creating ornate ceramic works that reflect his Afro-Latino heritage and depict the portraits and lived experiences of underrepresented communities. His practice powerfully expands the voices celebrated within artistic contexts and complicates the history of ceramics and the arts ecosystem more broadly.
The upcoming presentation marks an important shift for the artist, as he moves further from representing within his works important historical and cultural figures to sharing intimate narratives from his own life. While the iconography in his newest works is deeply personal, it has strong communal resonance, allowing it to be understood and appreciated from a range of perspectives and by a broad audience.
The Gilded Ghetto features a wide selection of new work, including life-sized pottery, new wall-mounted sculptural objects, and the artist’s interpretation of The Peacock Room at the National Museum of Asian Art. The exhibition will remain on view through October 27, 2023, at R & Company’s White Street location.
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Works on View
Q & A with Roberto Lugo
Request Digital Preview
Wall color for this exhibition was generously provided by Alkemis Paint, the world’s first architectural wellness paint.