Malik Roberts' "To Suffer a Lick" Exhibition Explores Liminality and Uncertainty
Unveiling emotive paintings of fragmented figures.
Malik Roberts will be showcasing his upcoming solo exhibition, “To Suffer a Lick,” which features thought-provoking works that invite viewers to explore their sense of liminality and uncertainty. The exhibition, to be held at Allouche Gallery in NYC, showcases a variety of dynamic and abstract compositions that highlight the artist’s unique approach to fragmenting and deconstructing figures. The pandemic inspired Roberts to create this exhibition, as it created a sense of liminality and uncertainty. The exhibition’s title, “To Suffer a Lick,” reflects the feeling of waiting for an opportunity while enduring uncertainty, capturing the sense of grace that comes with success.
Roberts uses a combination of oil, oil pastel, and charcoal on canvas, with a darker color palette highlighting a Caravaggio baroque style with a single light source. The subjects in the paintings are depicted in homelike spaces, reflecting the time Roberts spent at home during the pandemic. The line work in each piece accentuates the emotions and perspectives that Roberts wants viewers to feel.
The exhibition’s centerpiece, “Chamber of Reflections,” sets the tone for the exhibition by showcasing emotional and spatial liminality, with a bed serving as a familiar object. “A Feeling of Falling” explores the theme of hubris and uncertainty, with the subject falling into a void between light and darkness. “Ignorance is Bliss” captures the theme of turning a blind eye to problems, with a young woman sitting in front of a computer or camera, ignoring the world’s chaos behind her.
Roberts describes his style as a fragmentation and deconstruction of figures and subjects, highlighting different parts of a person’s psyche, what they may be going through or feeling. With his line detail, he tends to highlight the more expressive part of the subject and showcase another layer of a person’s personality.
Overall, “To Suffer a Lick” is a powerful exhibition that encourages viewers to explore their sense of liminality and uncertainty, with each work showcasing Roberts’s unique signature style and approach to deconstructing and fragmenting figures. The exhibition will be on display at Allouche Gallery from April 20 to May 17.
Allouche Gallery
77 Mercer St.
New York, NY 10012
