Philadelphia-based artist Quentin Morris uses a variety of materials to explore issues surrounding identity, race, spirituality, and cultural mythologies. The integration of schools in Philadelphia impacted Morris as an adolescent and still influences his work today. Morris has focused his studio practice on monochromatic black paintings in the shapes of circles and squares since the early 1960s. Morris’ AEIVA exhibition features a selection of paintings that span five decades of the artist’s career.

Through his paintings, Morris is able to process his ideas on race, ethnicity, and culture, while at the same time constructing a social commentary on the Civil Rights Movement. Morris wants the viewer to take an intense look into his deceptively simple paintings – understanding that the color black is both beautiful and complex. This will be Quentin Morris’ first major exhibition in the South.