Salman Toor, Three Mascots, (2023).Photo: Genevieve Hanson © Salman Toor. Courtesy the artist, Luhring Augustine, New York, and Thomas Dane Gallery.
2. Salman Toor at Luhring Augustine | New York
A standout in the 2024 Venice Biennale exhibition “Foreigners Everywhere,” Salman Toor has been garnering praise for his expressive paintings and drawings since his 2020 solo show at the Whitney Museum. Born in Pakistan and educated in the United States, Toor is renowned for his narrative and allegorical works that depict gay South Asian men living in the diaspora. Painted wet-on-wet or drawn quickly, his paintings and drawings have a sketchy, washy quality that enhances the intensity of his depictions of an immigrant’s urban life.
His biggest solo show to date, the exhibition “Wish Makers” features new paintings at the gallery’s Chelsea space and works on paper at its Tribeca location. The New York-based artist’s theatrical works capture brown males publicly gathering on street corners or cruising in parks and on beaches, as well as privately interacting in beds, clubs, and dreamlike museum spaces. Rendered from memory, they provide viewers a glimpse into the marginalized realms of New York and Lahore. His painterly portraits of family and friends highlight a support network that fosters confidence, while his still lifes of objects and limbs piled in puddles reveal a pervasive sense of vulnerability.
Read full article at galeriemagazine.com
