PJ Harper's Snakes & Ladders

November 19, 2022

Good Black Art is happy to announce "Snakes & Ladders," the first solo and international exhibition by Glasgow-based multidisciplinary artist PJ Harper. Acclaimed for his stylized sculptures of celebrities, it-girls, holy subjects, and handheld scenes, PJ has nearly 100,000 Instagram followers. His new body of work offers over a dozen sculptures, corresponding canvas paintings, and a selection of unique photographic prints that draw inspiration from one of the oldest board games, Snakes and Ladders.

Two steps forward, one step back, the journey across the playing board mirrors many pursuits towards progress. Harper engages this race game framework to imagine afrofuturistic scenes. His use of color and notable fixation on skin tone demonstrates his portrayal of Blackness as being multidimensional. Harper himself is of mixed race, with Scottish and Caribbean heritage; growing up in Scotland, he has often felt unsettled about his own identity. Thus, his art demonstrates the complexities and multifaceted nature of Black culture and life. Representing a creative life force, the serpent symbolizes rebirth, transformation, and strength. Landing on a snake or slide may slow the journey but leave players and viewers alike to reflect on life lessons. The rising ladders or staircase imagery represents progress and ascension, symbolizing the connection between heaven and earth. Harper's holy subjects are modernized. Transcending the ancient game, mythic muses such as Medusa, Cleopatra, and Mami Wata are in conversation with familiar figures of self and family which take viewers on a journey of cultural progress, history, and evolution.

CLICK TO VIEW THE WORKS

All works are now available for purchase, with digital certificates of title and authenticity backed by Fairchain. If you have any questions, please contact info@goodblackart.com.

Installation