Exhibition Guide

Visual Description

“Kingdom” is a vertical oil painting on linen, measuring approximately 117 1/8 inches by 92 inches, of a child standing atop a straight playground slide and gazing forward. The figure’s skin tone is rendered in grayscale. Both the child and the slide are shown at a three-quarter view from the left. The figure is poised triumphantly in mid-step: their left foot, which is hidden from view behind the slide’s body, is on the highest step, with their right knee raised and right foot resting on the top of the slide. They use both hands to grip railings that run down the length of the slide’s steps. The highest point of the slide is situated at the center of the canvas. The reflective metallic slide descends from center to the lower left corner of the painting. The slide’s metal railings and bright green steps extend rightward, receding away from the viewer, and are cropped by the painting’s bottom margin. 

The figure wears their hair in short, small twists and looks down towards the viewer with a calm expression. They sport a navy-blue denim jacket with a cream-colored, shearling collar, and the sleeves cuffed once at the wrist. The jacket hangs open to reveal a T-shirt of alternating red and white horizontal stripes, leaving a glimpse of what resembles a graphic of a yellow construction crane. They wear tan pants, gray socks, and white sneakers with three straps, in descending order: one red, one green, and one yellow. A light blue sky with hints of white clouds comprises the entire background with no horizon in sight.

 

Artwork Label

A young boy stands at the top of a gleaming slide, dressed neatly in fall attire, poised between play and contemplation. From this elevated perch, he gazes outward with quiet authority, embodying both the innocence of childhood and the self-possession of a figure aware of his own presence.

“Kingdom” transforms an ordinary playground moment into a scene of sovereignty and grace. The composition’s upward angle and dramatic diagonals evoke a sense of ascension. Within this familiar setting, the child becomes a symbol of possibility. His stance suggests a world both inherited and imagined, a realm of his own making.