Throughout his career, Leonardo Drew has been continuously engaged with the cyclical nature of existence. Made to resemble the detritus of everyday life, his formally abstract but emotionally charged compositions have a metaphorical weight that is as unique as it is symbolic. Often interpreted as a comment on the position of African-Americans in contemporary American society, his work transcends any specific historic and ethnic reference, and is deeply embedded in the theory and practice of mid-20th-century abstraction. Ranging from the intense drama of his sculptures and installations of the 1980s, to the epic sweep of his massive wall-bound tableaux in the 1990s, to the ethereal language of his paper casts of the early 2000s, his works transcend time and place. Add the poetic intimacy of his recent works on paper, and Drew’s practice can be described as a journey toward enlightenment, full of reprises and returns as well as new beginnings.
