Ian Micheal’s newest body of work continues his exploration of memory, materiality, and the architecture of the American landscape. Working with layered oil on linen, Micheal constructs quiet, meditative scenes that blur the line between abstraction and representation. These paintings capture the stillness of familiar spaces while inviting viewers into the emotional terrain beneath their surfaces. 

This exhibition brings together recent works that highlight Micheal’s distinctive approach to color, atmosphere, and spatial tension.

About the Artist

Ian Micheal (b. 1985 in Detroit, Michigan; lives and works in Oakland, CA) creates paintings that weave forms of human intimacy through his representation of comradery between androgynous figures. Highlighting nodes of deep affection, while allowing room for interpretation of gender and kinship, Micheal offers his viewers a personal connection to the work. Leaving figures and spaces they occupy simple and at times unfinished, the large-scale oil paintings celebrate often marginalized individuals by emphasizing their vibrancy. 

Lauded for his warm vignettes that leave room for interpretations of gender, emotion, storyline, and kinship, Micheal examples tender moments across large-scale canvases, often employing soft color palettes and layers of patterning over simple backgrounds.