May 10 – June 8, 2024 UTA Artist Space

1401 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta

(Atlanta, GA–May 2024)

UTA Artist Space is pleased to present A Lotta Bit of Us, an exhibition featuring a new body of work by Maryland-based artist Glenn Hardy Jr. This eagerly anticipated showcase marks the artist’s debut exhibition in Atlanta, comprised of paintings and multimedia works that center and celebrate Black joy, accomplishment, and leisure.

Drawing inspiration from his personal history, Glenn Hardy Jr. rekindles scenes from his upbringing in Waldorf, Maryland in paintings like Orangerie. Evoking a sense of nostalgia for golden summer days and cherished yet fleeting moments with loved ones, Hardy seeks to capture timeless truths on canvas.

From the lively atmosphere of backyard cookouts to the transcendence of Sunday church services, Hardy distills the essence of community, ceremony, and tradition into his paintings, inviting viewers to reconnect with their own memories and find common ground in shared experiences. In a series of close-up works like Georgia On My Mind and Don’t Trip, the artist transports viewers to specific moments in time shared between family members, punctuated by a sense of intimacy and tenderness.

Sneakerhead, a painting depicting a young man with both hands overflowing with sneakers, celebrates the cultural significance of collecting sneakers while exploring how these iconic footwear items serve as symbols of identity and belonging. Similarly, in Window Shopping 1 & 2, Glenn further higlights the significance of self-expression by way of fashion.

Other works from Glenn Hardy Jr.’s Gold Frame Series represent a heartfelt tribute to individuals and stories that have historically been under-acknowledged in fine art. Through these works, Hardy honors friends and family members, symbolically presenting them in gold frames as a testament to their beauty and significance.

“With this new body of work, I aim to highlight the rich diversity within Black American culture and explore how different backgrounds and ways of life are interconnected,” says artist Glenn Hardy Jr. “The show features simultaneously lighthearted and profound moments, each present in nearly every piece. Rather than imposing a fixed meaning onto each artwork, I invite viewers to interpret them freely, leaving ample  room for their own insights and connections.”

“We are thrilled to work with Glenn Hardy Jr. again since our 2021 exhibition Overlooked Moments Worth a Lifetime, and to witness the evolution of his practice over the years,” says Bridgette Baldo, UTA Fine Arts Executive and Director of UTA Artist Space in Atlanta. “His latest body of work demonstrates remarkable depth, and thoughtfully captures the subtle, nuanced experience of reaching personal milestones.”

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Glenn Hardy Jr. (b. 1995) is a self-taught artist born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Waldorf, Maryland. He is a graduate of Towson University in Baltimore, MD. He is known for alluring, powerful paintings of Black life liberated from the burdens of racial stereotypes and conflict. Figures and scenes are idealized, as Hardy depicts a world of Black figures existing in comfort, in moments of relaxation, enjoyment, even triumph, free from the realities of existence as a marginalized minority in America. Hardy deliberately darkens the skin tone of his figures, irrespective of the skin tone of the various subjects. Hardy’s works are chronicles of lives lived Black— Black talents, Black “comfort,” and Black voice. In a style influenced by Kerry James Marshall and Ernie Barnes, Hardy’s work seeks to subvert, transcend, and ultimately replace stereotypical, negative, depictions of Black America life. In 2021, Hardy had his first solo presentation at UTA Artist Space in Los Angeles, followed by his debut solo exhibition with Charlie James Gallery in early 2022. His work is held in the collection of the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California.