Jeffrey Deitch Los Angeles debuts the art of Mr Wash. The gallery hosted an opening art party on February 16, 2024. However, the exhibition runs through March 30, 2024.

Jeffrey Deitch Mr. Wash

Fulton Leroy Washington, known as Mr. Wash was sentenced to life in prison on a drug charge. President Obama commuted his sentence after he had been incarcerated for twenty-one years. He taught himself to paint in prison, and is now a professional artist. Mr. Wash creates public projects in addition to his studio practice. The artist won the audience award in the 2020 version of the Hammer Museum’s Made in LA, where he was included.

The exhibition will include current works as well as a group of paintings made while Mr. Wash was incarcerated. These paintings reflect his increasing skill in addition to his faith and resolve. He never gave up on reversing his conviction. Many of the prison paintings show his affection for his family and also the pain of his not being there for them. Other paintings are meditations on the passage of time, featuring clocks and hourglasses.

Self Portraits

Many of the paintings feature self-portraits reflecting his determination and also spiritual faith. Some of the self-portraits bear witness to the injustices that he has witnessed in both the prison system and American society.

The works exhibit an old master-like attention to detail. Working with a fine brush, Mr. Wash creates miniature narratives within his teardrops and inside the crevices of his compositions. The paintings can be bold and iconic from a distance, but viewed up close, they draw the viewer into the artist’s interior world.

Mr. Wash has expanded the art discourse through his work, his charismatic personality, and his remarkable story. His work shows the power of art to help one survive through challenging circumstances and to inform and inspire.

On view: February 16, 2024 – March 30, 2024

What: Mr. Wash
Where: Jeffrey Deitch, 7000 Santa Monica Boulevard, corner of North Orange Drive, LA, (2nd gallery)
When: Running through March 30, 2024
Website: http://deitch.com

CLICK HERE for additional upcoming art exhibitions, as well as performances and foodie events.