As part of The Delaware Contemporary’s Artist-In-Residence program, Stephanie Boateng was invited to complete a year-long residency that culminated in this solo exhibition. Boateng was selected from a competitive pool of applicants based on not only her enthusiasm to engage with the museum, studio artist community, and the community at large, but her incredible talent as a largely self-taught artist. 

This exhibition showcases the foundation of Boateng’s conceptually-driven body of three-dimensional painted portraits. Her large-scale canvases feature busts of happy black women with a variety of additional elements, such as glitter, flowers, and rhinestones. The contagious smile of the individuals remains a consistent theme in each portrait; a visual representation and symbol of happiness that acts as the anchor for the overall work. 

Beyond the focal point of the smiling faces, the physical materials Boateng selects further expand the canvas, more fully realizing the dynamic figures in an imaginative and playful style. Additionally, these three-dimensional elements dismantle the traditional flat surface of canvas painting. The embellishment of the canvases with largely considered “craft” materials emphasize Boateng’s playful merging of several art forms. Her naive investigations of these materials have resulted in a successful and unique style; each work an individual exploration that bursts with personality. Although the conception of each work is simple in its ideation, it provides a rich landscape for Boateng to interpret and play with, usually consisting of a strong use of color, both manufactured and handmade elements, and always a visionary hairstyle. 

The works included in this exhibition were created during Boateng’s residency, and represent an artist who addresses her practice with candid enthusiasm and unrelenting experimentation. During her residency, Boateng has expanded her artistic foundation, increasing her ability to create authentic work with bold resolution. This exhibition serves as an opportunity to see Boateng as a fully realized artist, and similar to the transformation of her imagined subjects on the canvas, she has done so with a bright smile and a raw talent adorned with imagination.

Constance S. & Robert J. Hennessy Project Space