Cosmo Whyte: When They Aren’t Looking We Gather By The River

On view at Anat Ebgi is “When They Aren’t Looking We Gather By The River,’’ an exhibition of new work by Jamaican artist Cosmo Whyte. The artist’s use of material, his conceptual conceits and allegorical engagement with historical events, are strongly informed by his Caribbean roots and the complexities of Black diasporic and migrant experiences.  The exhibition showcases several installations—such as Wading in the Wake—alongside a series of large scale charcoal and gouache drawings, braiding together images of the Caribbean Carnival and the Black Lives Matter protests throughout the year. Whyte’s drawings suggest a common goal of holding space for community and self determination, in relation to present and historical Black oppression. The works in the exhibition feel both familiar and dislocating and echo with the multiplicity and fluidity of identity.