Chicago Reader, 2026
Reviewing After O'Grady at Mariane Ibrahim, Rachel Dukes examines how three contemporary artists—Autumn Wallace, Brittney Leeanne Williams, and Clémence Gbonon—extend the legacy of Lorraine O'Grady’s influential essay Olympia’s Maid: Reclaiming Black Female Subjectivity. Through painting and sculpture, the exhibition explores Black women’s subjectivity beyond limiting binaries, emphasizing embodiment, movement, spirituality, and liberation. The exhibition demonstrates the continuing relevance of O'Grady’s ideas for contemporary artistic practice.
Exhibition Review Black feminism Legacy and Influence black female subjectivity sculpture painting Mariane Ibrahim feminist art Contemporary Art Olympia's Maid After O'Grady identity Rachel Dukes representation Clémence Gbonon Black Contemporary Art Autumn Wallace Lorraine O'Grady Brittney Leeanne Williams black women artists