Christina Quarles
'Far from Near'
Exploring the foundational importance of drawing to Christina Quarles’ painting practice, Far from Near focuses on works on paper in ink and acrylic that inform her distinctive approach to representing identity and the human body. Quarles’ early “100 Series” drawings marked a pivotal juncture in her career, helping to define her creative vision and voice as an artist. A formative body in their own right, these drawings and subsequent works on paper interrogate the formal elements of the body and the “illusory boundaries that demarcate the self,” while also incorporating text to reference evocative lyrics, phrases, and overheard conversations. Featuring expressive, almost effortless gestural lines, these rarely seen works showcase Quarles’ deft ability to manipulate figures and space, further solidifying her place as one of the most important artists of our time.
Exploring the foundational importance of drawing to Christina Quarles’ painting practice, Far from Near focuses on works on paper in ink and acrylic that inform her distinctive approach to representing identity and the human body. Quarles’ early “100 Series” drawings marked a pivotal juncture in her career, helping to define her creative vision and voice as an artist. A formative body in their own right, these drawings and subsequent works on paper interrogate the formal elements of the body and the “illusory boundaries that demarcate the self,” while also incorporating text to reference evocative lyrics, phrases, and overheard conversations. Featuring expressive, almost effortless gestural lines, these rarely seen works showcase Quarles’ deft ability to manipulate figures and space, further solidifying her place as one of the most important artists of our time.
About the artist
Christina Quarles (b. 1985, Chicago; lives and works in Los Angeles) received an M.F.A. from the Yale School of Art and a B.A. from Hampshire College. Quarles participated in a residency at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and is the recipient of the inaugural Pérez Art Museum Miami Prize and a Rema Hort Mann Foundation Emerging Artist Grant. In 2021 Quarles joined the board of trustees of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.
Credits
Far from Near is organized by SCAD Museum of Art chief curator Daniel S. Palmer and presented as part of SCAD deFINE ART 2025.
