Michael Ray Charles
In the presence of light

for the first time in almost two decades, galerie templon is presenting the complex oeuvre of american artist michael ray charles in an exhibition titled ‘in the presence of light’. on view until may 7, 2022, the exhibition transforms the gallery’s grenier-saint-lazare space in paris into a theater stage in reference to minstrel shows, a popular 19th-century entertainment format when white actors in blackface played black musicians. within it, the artist presents new paintings and sculptures with a color palette limited to black and white shades. striking as they are disturbing, these unseen works subvert american popular imagery to challenge the common perception of identity and racial discrimination. the exhibition is accompanied by the publication of a book written by curator hedwig van impe recounting the extraordinary story of his partnership with the artist.