Vanessa Raw Takes Back the Gaze in 'This is How the Light Gets In'

To be soft is to be strong.

Exhibitions

Vanessa Raw’s latest show at the Rubell Museum in Miami celebrates a few firsts for the English painter. In her first US solo and institutional exhibition, This is How the Light Gets In forwards a new gender politic, summoning her own kind of Eden along the way. Expanding on past explorations and femininity and desire, Raw’s welcomes viewers into her skin-clad dream.

Across a suite of works commissioned for the museum’s artist-in-residence program, Raw welcomes a cast of women, languidly lounging in sun-soaked scenes, brought to life by layers of color. The artist constructs in “earthly paradise” where her figures become one with each other and the world around them.

There’s a sense of surreal beauty embedded within these paintings as entanglements of flesh signal beyond sexuality, into realms of vulnerability and purity. “As a woman painting women, I’m automatically creating work for a female gaze,” she tells curator and muse Destinee Ross-Sutton in an interview with CULTURED. “I imagine and situate my subjects in places of safety and I genuinely feel love for the women I paint. I hope that shines through. When I use found imagery, there’s a transformation process from male to female gaze, which transforms the feeling associated with the image. I take back the power.”

Having spent over a decade as an olympic triathlete, art and athleticism become one on Raw’s canvases. As bodies bend and bleed into one another, a meditative power emerges. Steeped in energy of community and the lush landscapes that surround them, the artist nurtures a newfound gaze where to be soft is to be strong.

This is How the Light Gets In is now on view at the Rubell Museum in Miami.

Rubell Museum
1100 NW 23rd St,
Miami, FL 33127

Read Full Article

What to Read Next

Upcoming Tokyo Exhibition Honors the Artistry of Ryuichi Sakamoto
Exhibitions

Upcoming Tokyo Exhibition Honors the Artistry of Ryuichi Sakamoto

‘seeing sound, hearing time’ will open at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo on December 21.

Craig Robins Collection Channels Francisco Goya's Uncanny in 'The Sleep of Reason'
Exhibitions

Craig Robins Collection Channels Francisco Goya's Uncanny in 'The Sleep of Reason'

Housed at the Dacra headquarters in the Miami Design District.

Tyler Mitchell's 'Wish This Was Real' Lands in Helsinki
Exhibitions

Tyler Mitchell's 'Wish This Was Real' Lands in Helsinki

Visualizing Black leisure as a radiant form of resistance.

A Look Inside Hypeart's Booth at SCOPE Art Show in Miami
Exhibitions

A Look Inside Hypeart's Booth at SCOPE Art Show in Miami

Exploring the evolution of spray paint as a medium for creative expression.

SCOPE Art Show 2024: What's On View
Events

SCOPE Art Show 2024: What's On View

As Art Week heats up in Miami, artists from around the globe come together to explore this year’s theme of ‘Interdependence.’


Refik Anadol's 'Inner Portrait' Is An Evocative "Data Sculpture"

Refik Anadol's 'Inner Portrait' Is An Evocative "Data Sculpture"

An immersive room of exquisite colors, textures and graphics engulfs visitors.

Heaven by Marc Jacobs Unveils 'Just Like Heaven' Group Show in Los Angeles
Exhibitions

Heaven by Marc Jacobs Unveils 'Just Like Heaven' Group Show in Los Angeles

Featuring work by Bladee, Petra Collins, FUTURA2000 and more.

Pippa Garner's Body Shop Goes Bicoastal in New Double Exhibition
Exhibitions

Pippa Garner's Body Shop Goes Bicoastal in New Double Exhibition

‘Misc. Pippa’ is now on view at Los Angeles’ STARS Gallery and Matthew Brown New York through January 2025.

Explore the Dark Side of Desire in 'Flowers of Romance'

Explore the Dark Side of Desire in 'Flowers of Romance'

Featuring works by Nan Goldin, Cy Twombly, Rachel Rose and more.

Myrna Quiñonez Puts a Surreal Spin on Landscape Tradition at Beers London
Exhibitions

Myrna Quiñonez Puts a Surreal Spin on Landscape Tradition at Beers London

‘The Horizon Pulled Me Close’ opens on November 28, 2024.

More ▾
 
We got you covered. Don’t miss out on the latest news by signing up for our newsletters.

Looks like you’re using an ad-blocker

We charge advertisers instead of our readers. Support us by whitelisting our site.

Whitelist Us

How to Whitelist Us

screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlock icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Under “Pause on this site” click “Always”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlock Plus icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Block ads on – This website” switch off the toggle to turn it from blue to gray.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlocker Ultimate icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Switch off the toggle to turn it from “Enabled on this site” to “Disabled on this site”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the Ghostery icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Click on the “Ad-Blocking” button at the bottom. It will turn gray and the text above will go from “ON” to “OFF”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the UBlock Origin icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Click on the large blue power icon at the top.
  3. When it turns gray, click the refresh icon that has appeared next to it or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the icon of the ad-blocker extension installed on your browser.You’ll usually find this icon in the upper right-hand corner of your screen. You may have more than one ad-blocker installed.
  2. Follow the instructions for disabling the ad blocker on the site you’re viewing.You may have to select a menu option or click a button.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.