Episode 232

Photo credit: Jordan Benton

Ep.232 Will Maxen (b. Waterbury, CT) is a multi-disciplinary artist living in Houston, Texas, who works primarily in the language of painting. His work blends personal and historical imagery into partially abstracted scenes that explore themes of memory and belonging, navigating both literal and metaphorical spaces. The work delves into the dislocation of identity within these spaces, representing existence as something that teeters on the edge of legibility. This juxtaposition breaks the boundaries between the tangible and the intangible while the painted figures evoke vulnerability, adding a human element to the dialogue. Maxen received his BA in Illustration from Central Connecticut State University, and an MFA in Art Studio at the University of California, Davis.

He has had solo exhibitions at Residency Art Gallery, Los Angeles (Felix Art Fair); and UTA Art Space, New York. His work has been featured in group shows at Fridman Gallery, New York; Canepa Selling Gallery, Los Angeles, Marrow Gallery, San Francisco; Chili Art Projects, London.

Maxens work is included in the permanent collections of the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, Davis, CA; The Art Galleries at Black Studies, Austin, TX; and the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection. Maxen has been a resident at Silver Art Projects, New York; a recipient of The New Jewish Culture Fellowship; and an Assistant Professor of Painting and Drawing at Louisiana State University.

Fridman Gallery https://fridmangallery.com/artists/164-will-maxen/ | https://fridmangallery.com/art-fairs/102/works/artworks-2192-will-maxen-untitled-dreams-2024/

Silver Arts Residency https://www.silverart.org/about-program/

UTA Artist Space https://utaartistspace.com/exhibitions/and-the-land-stands-still/

Good Black Art https://goodblackart.com/collections/will-maxen

Hyperallergic https://hyperallergic.com/826680/2023-uc-davis-arts-humanities-grads-take-center-stage-wide-ranging-show/

New American Paintings https://www.newamericanpaintings.com/artists/william-maxen

Artspace https://artspacenewhaven.org/os_contributors/will-maxen/

Residency Art https://www.residencyart.com/artists | https://www.residencyart.com/exhibitions/felix-art-fair-2024

Highline Nine https://highlinenine.org/nicholaskontaxis-1-1

Felix Art Fair https://www.residencyart.com/exhibitions/felix-art-fair-2024

UC Davis Art Studio https://arts.ucdavis.edu/announcement/alum-will-maxen-featured-art-blog

Cool Hunting https://coolhunting.com/culture/notes-returning-to-felix-frieze-los-angeles-and-the-future-perfect/