American artist Tschabalala Self debuts her first solo Australian exhibition at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) until late November.

Self, who is known for her Black figurative paintings and multidisciplinary works, combines painting, textiles and video installation in the exhibition titled Skin Tight.

The Harlem-born artist constructs predominantly female figures, each exploring themes of desire and vulnerability in connection to the lineage of Black women artists and the broader history of Black representation in art. 

The exhibition spanning across four rooms includes seismic paintings that layer tactile fabrics of varying colours, shapes and prints.

Upon entry into the exhibition sits perhaps one of the most eyecatching works titled “The Soft Kiss”.

The man who sits on a steel frame chair twists his neck reaching the lips of the female placed behind him, their beings replicate those of the paintings around them, as were intended by the artist.

“I really wanted to see if I could push the formal aspects of the painted works and make them fully three-dimensional,” Self said.

When visiting the exhibition, Self asks viewers to see if there’s something in the work that touches them in that particular moment in time.

“I intentionally make most of the works open-ended. I think there’s room for people to interject their own narrative, and to allow their own feelings and memories to emerge,” Self said.

To find out more about Tschabalala Self and her exhibition Skin Tight, visit https://acca.melbourne/exhibition/tschabalala-self-skin-tight/