We meet artist Shaqúelle Whyte to explore his current solo exhibition at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery in London.

Whyte imagines fictional environments in his paintings, creating an enigmatic atmosphere that contributes to his psychoanalytic approach. The painted medium is paramount for the artist whose broad, loosely rendered brushstrokes are mirrored in his expansive compositions, in which time and space expand and contract across the canvas. Although non-linear, narrative plays a central role in Whyte’s work, which sees him carry certain motifs over from one painting to the next. These recurring details contribute to the sense of theatre that pervades his work; Whyte directs his subjects as though they are actors and his canvas a stage.

Despite excluding himself from the work representationally, the stories he crafts reflect his everyday life and innermost thoughts. The figures in Whyte’s paintings act as conduits for his subconscious. Giving form to thought through paint, he generates a sense of introspection through his characters’ often averted or guarded faces. At once enigmatic and familiar, Whyte’s paintings evoke the surreal and shape the ephemeral, ultimately leaving his world open to the viewer’s own interpretation.

Shaqúelle Whyte (b. 2000, Wolverhampton) lives and works in London. He received a BA in Fine Art from the Slade School of Fine Art and an MA at the Royal College of Art. He is currently exhibiting his first solo show with Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, Yute, you’re gonna be fine. Recent group shows include Present Tense, Hauser & Wirth, Somerset (2024); Buffer, Guts Gallery, London (2022); Seasons in the City, curated by Artuner, Palazzo Capris, Turin (2022); Showstopper, Saatchi Gallery, London (2022); and WHAT NOW?, PM/AM Gallery, London (2022). Whyte has taken part in residencies at The Fores Project, London (2022); AM/PM, London (2022); and the Denise Israel Scholarship, Rome (2021), amongst others.

Follow @Shaq.Whyte and @PippyHouldsworthGallery

Visit the final weekend of Shaqúelle Whyte's solo exhibition. Last chance! His show runs until this Saturday 25th May: https://www.houldsworth.co.uk/exhibitions/147-shaquelle-whyte-yute-youre-gonna-be-fine/press_release_text/

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