The staccato rattle of pot covers over an intense boil, the smell of burned sugar while simmering goat stew—these are just some of the culinary sensations Kemar Keanu Wynter describes as foundational to his art making. The Brooklyn artist’s practice is tethered to a childhood in the kitchen with extended family. His latest paintings feature mesmerizing washes of delectable color, creating a dazzling visual patois that is as much an abstraction of New York street food as an homage to his Jamaican roots.
“Kemar’s paintings are always titled after food, which is apt—viewing his work is consistently a nourishing experience”
Kyla McMillan
Kemar Keanu Wynter, I Find Rest in the Curve of Your Embrace (Fatoot wa Haleeb), 2024. Photo: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND KLAUS VON NICHTSSAGEND GALLERY
Fresh take: “There is no real distinction between the kitchen and the studio,” says Wynter, who was awarded an Anderson Ranch Arts Center fellowship in 2022. “Everything is learned by understanding the way a dish should look, smell, and sound.”
On view: Wynter’s latest solo show at Cuchifritos Gallery + Project Space, within New York’s Essex Market, extends the artist’s appreciation of culinary culture. “The exhibition marks my reintroduction of restaurant ticket rails that hold customer receipts as a material,” he says. “In previous bodies of work, I’ve used these rails as a method to hang handwritten passages of coded text that complement my paintings.”
Kemar Keanu Wynter, Stepdown Two (Baked Rigatoni), 2024. Photo: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND KLAUS VON NICHTSSAGEND GALLERY
Kemar Keanu Wynter, Knead Bee (Marionberry Cheesecake Ice Cream), 2024. Photo: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND KLAUS VON NICHTSSAGEND GALLERY
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2024 Winter Issue under the headline “Next Big Things.” Subscribe to the magazine.
Click here to see the full list of “Next Big Things.”
