Enshrined: Presence + Preservation brings together several dozen works of art from Mario Moore’s early career. Also included in Enshrined are paintings from his most recent body of work, The Work of Several Lifetimes (2019), which was created with the support of Princeton University’s esteemed Hodder Fellowship. Enshrined is Moore’s first solo exhibition at The Wright Museum, as well as the first show that reflects his work created across several years.

The figures illustrated in Moore’s paintings are often presented standing tall, offering stern and confident gazes toward the viewer, while perpetuating a presence of primacy without regalia. This type of depiction places Moore’s style of portraiture within the legacy of works by figurative artists such as Kerry James Marshall,  Barkley Hendricks, and one of his earliest painter influences, Diego Velazquez.  As such, Enshrined represents Moore’s desire to make visible the economies of social order within Black American life.

Moore’s continued work in platforming the contributions of essential and frontline workers is even more poignant during this worldwide pandemic as their labor has ensured the wellbeing of all humanity.

Enshrined: Presence + Preservation will be housed in our AT&T Gallery.