The Brandywine Museum of Art proudly presents its first solo exhibition dedicated to an emerging contemporary artist: **”Jerrell Gibbs: No Solace in the Shade.”** This marks the Baltimore artist’s inaugural solo museum exhibition and monographic publication, offering a comprehensive survey of the first decade of Gibbs’ career.
Gibbs’ dynamic, large-scale figurative paintings portray family, friends, and community, focusing on everyday scenes of Black life. Through his work, these everyday moments are transformed into monumental experiences that highlight universal themes of identity, reflection, and belonging.
“It’s been a dream come true. I’m overjoyous right now, still kind of buzzing from the opening,” Gibbs shares. “It was what I’ve always wanted an opening to be — an experience that everyone can appreciate whether you are a museum-goer that’s been in that environment for decades, or if it was your first time.”
Thomas Padon, James H. Duff Director of the Brandywine Museum of Art, expressed his enthusiasm: “We are thrilled to be organizing Jerrell’s first solo museum exhibition, which has been several years in the making at Brandywine. Jerrell is a painter of astonishing creativity and a storyteller who crafts a world of timeless themes.”
Padon continues, “His vigorous, dazzling brushwork pairs with highly personal imagery evoking contentment and joy, where ordinary moments become elemental. His work extends and expands on, in an exciting way, the figurative tradition well represented in the Brandywine’s collection, which has grown over the years to include important works by contemporary artists — including a recent acquisition of a major painting by Gibbs that will be included in the exhibition.”
The exhibition is guest curated by Angela N. Carroll, a Baltimore-based writer, art historian, and professor. Carroll notes, “Anyone who experiences Jerrell’s work, virtually or in person, is moved by what they encounter. ‘No Solace in the Shade’ celebrates the power of human connection, the quiet dignity of everyday life, and the beauty of family.”
She adds, “This important survey of Gibbs’s iconic métier is an outstanding opportunity for audiences to experience his works. The presentation at the Brandywine also places him firmly in the long tradition of American figurative painters.”
Throughout his career, Gibbs has challenged the near invisibility of Black life in American art by celebrating his culture with deep compassion and insight. He often weaves narratives and imagery drawn from his own upbringing. Several paintings in the exhibition portray people from the artist’s life, while others are inspired by old family photographs or anonymous figures found in vintage scrapbooks.
Gibbs explains the significance of recurring floral motifs in his work: “The motif of the flowers started as an opportunity to solve a problem I had in my painting practice — trying to figure out ways I could naturally compose within domestic spaces. Many elements I include reflect my experience growing up, spending a lot of time in my aunt’s and grandmother’s houses.”
He continues, “The more I incorporated flowers, the more they began to tell another story. They became synonymous with the Black figure and the Black male. I rarely see images of Black men associated with flowers or things considered beautiful.”
The paintings, depicting intimate and honest moments, are displayed against black walls — a deliberate departure from the standard white museum backdrop — creating an immersive viewing experience that complements the vibrant color fields of the works.
The exhibit also features benched nooks, intimate spaces with only one painting displayed against seafoam blue walls. These areas invite guests to sit and deeply contemplate each piece.
Carroll observes, “Jerrell is not just mining his own history and family narratives to build a larger archive; he’s demonstrating that one doesn’t need to be superhuman, wealthy, or engage in heroic acts to have their portrait painted. You can be an everyday person.”
Gibbs adds a heartfelt message for visitors: “I want guests to know they’re represented in these works, no matter where they come from or how old they are. These paintings are about you, they’re about me, they’re about the American story. Once we see each other as human, I believe we can move past many of the differences that keep us from caring about one another.”
The exhibition features 30 paintings drawn from both museum and private collections across the U.S. and Europe. It will be on view at the Brandywine Museum of Art through March 1, 2026.
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