"Soft Architectures: Paper As Structure, Idea & Translation" is a new group exhibition of works on paper at the Bridgette Mayer Gallery. Included in "Soft Architectures..." are four works on paper I completed in 2023 and 2024. These peices are all being exhibited for the first time ever. Black Book is the largest at 50" x 38", while the other three are 30" x 22" each.
Black Book is a black and white reworking of a piece originally made in 2011-2012 and makes use of both black and silver set against a stenciled patterned background. The smaller pieces feature bold, brushy versions of glyphs in two or three layers right on top of each other.
To learn more about "Soft Architectures..." please see the press release below:
Bridgette Mayer Gallery Presents:
Soft Architectures: Paper As Structure, Idea & Translation
March 4 – August 1, 2026
Artist Reception & Happy Hour: Thursday, April 9th, 5:00 – 7:30pm
Philadelphia, PA – February 12, 2026. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Soft Architecture: Paper As Structure, Idea & Translation
On View March 4 – August 1, 2026
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 9, 2026, | 5:00–7:30 PM
Bridgette Mayer Gallery is pleased to present Soft Architecture: Paper As Structure, Idea & Translation, a major group exhibition featuring seventeen nationally known and distinguished regional artists working across the expansive field of works on paper. On view from March 1 through August 1, 2026, the exhibition brings together significant voices in contemporary art, offering collectors and art enthusiasts an in-depth exploration of paper as both medium and conceptual framework.
The exhibition includes works by Jessica Backhaus, Radcliffe Bailey, Ray Beldner, Mel Bochner, Kwame Braithwaite, Francesco Clemente, Will Cotton, Julie Goldstein, Daniel Heyman, Ime Knoebel, Larry Poons, Jon Poblador, Tim McFarlane, Ryan McGinness, Nigel Sense, Kehinde Wiley, and Douglas Witmer.
Through mixed media painting, photography, silkscreen and woodblock prints, drawing, collage, and pastel, Soft Architecture examines paper not merely as a support, but as structure, surface, and site of translation. The works range from figurative and portrait-based compositions to bold abstractions, layered collages, and conceptual text-based works. Together, they demonstrate the remarkable versatility of paper—its immediacy, fragility, rigor, and enduring relevance within contemporary practice.
Mel Bochner’s engagement with language and perception underscores the intellectual architecture embedded in works on paper. He has stated, “All art is conceptual. Art is ideas. How to manifest those ideas is up to each individual artist.” My work attempts to address the hidden agendas and ideologies of language... There’s no such thing as innocent language.”
Kwame Braithwaite’s photography affirms the cultural and historical resonance that can be conveyed through the intimacy of paper. In an interview with Afropunk he shared: “As The Keeper of the Images, my goal has always been to pass that legacy on and make sure that for generations to come, everyone who sees my work knows the greatness of our people.”