Lisson Gallery has announced its representation of Oliver Lee Jackson, a renowned painter, sculptor, and printmaker. Jackson, whose work is known for its improvisational, freeform approach, will debut with Lisson Gallery at Art Basel, Basel, from June 13-16, 2024. His first solo exhibition with the gallery in London is scheduled for November 2024. The gallery will represent Jackson in collaboration with Andrew Kreps Gallery and BLUM.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1935, Jackson studied at the University of Iowa and played a significant role in the Black Artists Group in St. Louis before moving to the West Coast. There, he taught at California State University, Sacramento, where he developed the Pan African Studies program.
Jackson’s work is characterized by its hybrid, ambiguous forms that challenge the boundaries between figuration and abstraction. The artist’s paintings are fragmentary, gestural canvases where the human figure pops up in various guises, sometimes overtly and sometimes obliquely. Like his figurative—often painted—sculptures, in metal, marble, and wood, they are rooted in both African and European art traditions. Notable exhibitions include solo shows at the Saint Louis Art Museum, the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., and the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.
In 2023, Jackson received the Lee Krasner Award for lifetime achievement from the Pollock Krasner Foundation. His work is included in the permanent collections of major institutions such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
“His approach to form and art history is singular,” said Alex Logsdail, CEO of Lisson Gallery. “His ability to meld style and subject to his own vernacular is amazing to see unfold.”
