UTA Artist Space is pleased to announce the upcoming opening of an exhibition featuring the works of the distinguished artist, Renee Cox. On the heels of two significant institutional exhibitions: A Proof of Being at Guild Hall and The Ten Commandments at Princeton University Museum, UTA Artist Space will present Cox’s first solo exhibition in Atlanta.

The exhibition will highlight seminal work from the Whitney Independent Study Program alum’s 30-plus- year career, showcasing the evolution of her robust practice and candid explorations of racial and gender politics.

Celebrated for her radical gestures of Black reclamation and unrepentant self-expression, Cox brings a powerful and imaginative perspective to these pieces. At the heart of the exhibition is the powerful representation of the artist’s journey. One of the central themes explored in Cox’s exhibition is the reconciliation of lives of privilege within Black communities. Cox boldly asserts that Black narratives and conflicts can unfold against backdrops of wealth and comfort, disrupting the prevailing narrative that centers exclusively on impoverished settings.

The exhibit will feature pieces from throughout Cox’s artistic career, including Black Leather Lace-Up (above), The Jumpoff (right) and Young Yo Mama. Her pieces invite viewers to engage with an artistic journey that goes beyond the image, encouraging a profound exploration of identity, joy, relaxation, and the resilience of the Black spirit.

Renée Cox is a visual artist, working foremost in photography and video. Her work arises at this intersection of history, race theory, and sexuality. In her practice, Cox works to deconstruct stereotypes, engage the viewer, and to challenge their preconceived ideas about gender and race. She explores the possibilities of new and affirming self-representations for Black diasporic peoples as a visual corrective to both art history and history writ large—transforming dispossession into self- possession. By deconstructing the Black female body, she reveals the myths behind it. Cox began her career as a commercial photographer, working for Condé Nast, and the music and film industries.

She turned to fine art after receiving an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in 1992 and participating in the Whitney Independent Study Program during the same year. Since then, Cox has worked as a visual artist, educator, curator, lecturer, and a frequent contributor to the New York Times Magazine. The Archives of American Art (Smithsonian, Washington, D.C.) acquired Cox’s personal archive in 2019. Renée Cox (b. Colgate, Jamaica) lives and works in Harlem, NY, and Amagansett, East Hampton. Her work is included in several institutional collections including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Princeton Art Museum.