PARIS.- Perrotin presents FEMMES, a group exhibition curated by Pharrell Williams, showcasing nearly 40 artists. It ambitions to spotlight these luminaries while advocating for greater visibility and equity—inviting everyone in. From G I R L in 2014 to FEMMES today, the title is now plural and translated into French, with a focus on the multifaceted nature of Black womanhood.
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FEMMES reflects Pharrell’s eclectic taste and unique aesthetic equation, weaving together influences orbiting around diverse creative poles. It pays homage to the ground laying work of African American art’s tutelary figures Betye Saar and Carrie Mae Weems, alongside revered African matriarchs Seyni Awa Camara and Esther Mahlangu. Exploring textile art—traditionally tied to women’s labor and historically marginalized in art history—FEMMES highlights the intricate narratives embedded in fabric, fiber and thread. As Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Creative Director, Pharrell offers a glimpse into his atelier’s visual repertoire, featuring works by Georgina Maxim, Kenia Almaraz Murillo, Kapwani Kiwanga, Katia St. Hilaire, and Tandiwe Muriu. Themes of motherhood and lineage emerge in pieces by Emma Prempeh, Mequitta Ahuja, and Joana Choumali, while Todd Gray explores inheritance—both material and spiritual. The evocative power of shadows is also channeled through Naomi Lulendo, Cinga Samson, and Gabriel Moses.
Naturally, pop culture and its visual languages—deeply rooted in both Pharrell and Perrotin’s DNA—hold a prominent place in FEMMES. This is reflected in the works of Lauren Kelley, and Nina Chanel Abney, extending into the conceptual realm through artists such as Mickalene Thomas, Leslie Hewitt, Glenn Ligon, Gaëlle Choisne, and Tschabalala Self. Black portraiture, now firmly established in contemporary visual culture and embraced across generations, also has a significant presence: Prince Gyasi, Zanele Muholi, Kenturah Davis, Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe, Reggie Burrows Hodges, Robert Pruitt, Henry Taylor and Zéh Palito all explore the representation of Black bodies, individual identities, and their evolving typologies. Additionally, FEMMES showcases archival practices, with Malala Andrialavidrazana and Jess Atieno by engaging history, memory, and the layered narratives intertwined within visual records. Finally, the exhibition celebrates boundary-pushing creativity and extraordinary forms, with the works of Eden Tinto Collins, Theresa Chromati, and Kennedy Yanko who redefine materiality and abstraction thanks to their innovative approaches.
Pharrell Williams and Emmanuel Perrotin have shared a creative bond since first meeting in 2007 in Miami, where they connected over their mutual admiration for the Japanese art scene led by Takashi Murakami. Expressions of respect and brotherhood between the two are frequent, each recognizing the other’s enduring influence, relevance, and contributions to contemporary art and culture. Pharrell is particularly appreciative of Emmanuel’s taste, entrepreneurial spirit, and forward- thinking vision, while Emmanuel commends Pharrell for his multifaceted creativity, his dedication to family, and his generosity as a friend. Pharrell’s sense of reverence for the women who have shaped his life—wife, mothers, sisters, daughters, friends and muses—inspires their upcoming collaboration, FEMMES.
Curated by Pharrell Williams and hosted by Emmanuel Perrotin’s Parisian gallery, this exhibition builds on and expands from their past common endeavors, including the 2008 design exhibition Perspectives, which introduced Pharrell to Perrotin’s world and sparked an artistic dialogue between him and Takashi Murakami, Laurent Grasso, Sophie Calle and Daniel Arsham among others. It also follows the success and focus of the 2014 group show G I R L at Perrotin Paris, inspired by Pharrell’s eponymous hit album. As Black women are important figures of Williams’ personal inspiration, their kaleidoscopic representation is the core matrix of FEMMES, with at its foundation, the work of artists of African descent across generations. Here, Perrotin’s artists—Leslie Hewitt, Alex Gardner, Tavares Strachan, Chiffon Thomas, Katia St. Hilaire, Zéh Palito and Nina Chanel Abney—are joined in this expansive communion of talent by artists from over fifteen galleries.
At its heart, FEMMES is an anthem, leading the marching band of Black joy by creating spaces for ongoing and future cultural shifts. It is a celebration, a call to honor the artists—these Soldiers of Love— who transform the world through the power of their hands. With an unwavering commitment to art in all its forms, the curator-gallerist duo invites us on a spaceship journey into a constellation of brilliance—an ever-expanding creative ecosystem where humanity takes center stage and reigns supreme.
Louise Thurin, author and curator
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