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About

Working in a variety of materials, Robert Pruitt centers his practice on rendering large-scale figurative portraits rooted in a fictive ethnography. His monumental portraits present intergalactic visions for a Black joyous future woven through with transcendent imagery, mythological references, and pop cultural allusions. He often utilizes religion, spirituality, signs, and symbolic objects throughout his work as a means of exploring a Black American conception of transcendence. He incorporates symbols and images from science fiction, comic book graphics, hip hop, Black political struggles, and African traditional cultures into his politically charged and spiritually grounded works.

Robert Pruitt was born in Houston, Texas in 1975 and lives and works in New York. He received his BFA from Texas Southern University (2000) and an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin (2003).

The artist has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions including A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration, Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson and the Baltimore Museum of Art, Maryland; Guest Minister at Oxbow, Seattle (WA) in 2020; The Banner Project: Robert Pruitt at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MA) in 2019; Devotion at the California African American Museum, Los Angeles in 2018; and Women at the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York (NY) in 2013, among many others.

Recent group exhibitions include Men of Steel, Women of Wonder at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville (AR) in 2019; and Black Refractions: Highlights from The Studio Museum in Harlem, which traveled to the Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco (CA) in 2019; the Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston (SC) in 2019; Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (MI) in 2019; Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton (MA) in 2020; Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Salt Lake City in 2021; and the Frye Art Museum, Seattle (WA) in 2021. Pruitt’s work was also featured in the 2006 Whitney Biennial.

The artist’s work is in numerous public collections, including the Dallas Museum of Art (TX); the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston (MA); the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (NY); the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (TX); the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham (NC); the Portland Museum of Art (ME); the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York (NY); the Blanton Museum of Art, Austin (TX); and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond (VA), among others.

Selected Works

This image depicts an artwork by Robert Pruitt titled "Lemon Tree." This artwork was created in 2024 and measures 84" x 60" [HxW] (213.36 x 152.4 cm)88 5/16" x 64 3/8" x 3" [HxWxD] (223.52 x 162.56 x 7.62 cm) framed. Its medium is Conté, pastel and coffee wash.
Robert Pruitt
“Lemon Tree,” 2024
This image depicts an artwork by Robert Pruitt titled "Conjurer Supreme." This artwork was created in 2023 and measures 83 ³⁄₄" x 60" [HxW] (212.73 x 152.4 cm); 88" x 64 ¹⁄₄" x 2" [HxWxD] (223.52 x 163.19 x 5.08 cm) framed. Its medium is Charcoal, conté, pastel and coffee wash.
Robert Pruitt
"Conjurer Supreme," 2023
This image depicts an artwork by Robert Pruitt titled "House and home." This artwork was created in 2023 and measures 60" x 84" [HxW] (152.4 x 213.36 cm); 64 ¹⁄₄" x 88 ¹⁄₄" x 2" [HxWxD] (163.19 x 224.15 x 5.08 cm) framed. Its medium is Charcoal, conté, pastel and coffee wash.
Robert Pruitt
"House and home," 2023
Robert Pruitt “Seated Woman with Quantum Headdress,” 2023
Robert Pruitt
“Seated Woman with Quantum Headdress,” 2023
Robert Pruitt “Standing Woman with Quantum Headdress ,” 2023
Robert Pruitt
“Standing Woman with Quantum Headdress ,” 2023
Robert Pruitt “Couple in a Vacant Lot,” 2022
Robert Pruitt
“Couple in a Vacant Lot,” 2022
Robert Pruitt “This my new dance move, I just don't know what to call it,” 2022
Robert Pruitt
“This my new dance move, I just don't know what to call it,” 2022
This image depicts an artwork by Robert Pruitt titled "Black Forces." This artwork was created in 2022 and measures 84" x 60" [HxW] (213.36 x 152.4 cm); 87 ³⁄₄" x 63 ³⁄₄" x 2" [HxWxD] (222.88 x 161.92 x 5.08 cm) Framed. Its medium is Conté, charcoal, pastel, fabric dye on paper.
Robert Pruitt
"Black Forces," 2022
Robert Pruitt “Love in Outer Space,” 2022
Robert Pruitt
“Love in Outer Space,” 2022
Robert Pruitt “Pastor's Study,” 2023
Robert Pruitt
“Pastor's Study,” 2023
Robert Pruitt “Waiting for missus to finish her tea,” 2022
Robert Pruitt
“Waiting for missus to finish her tea,” 2022
Robert Pruitt “White Tee Gold Chain,” 2022
Robert Pruitt
“White Tee Gold Chain,” 2022

Exhibitions

Born in 1975, Houston, TX
2003
MFA, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 2000
2000
BA, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX

Selected Solo and Two Person Exhibitions

2023
"Goodnight Prometheus," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
2021
"To Control the Universe," Salon 94, New York, NY
2020
"Ad Infinitum," Salon 94, New York, NY
"Guest Minister," Oxbow, Seattle, WA
2019
"The Banner Project," Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
"The Majesty of Kings Long Dead," Koplin Del Rio, Seattle, WA
2018
"Robert Pruitt: Devotion," California African American Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2017
"Robert Pruitt: Benediction," Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita, KS
"Robert Pruitt: Planetary Survey: New Drawings," Koplin Del Rio, Seattle, WA
2016
"Robert Pruitt: New Work," Visual Arts Center, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX
"Escape Velocity," Robert L. Ringel Gallery, Stewart Center Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
2015
"Robert Pruitt: Flight Risk," Koplin Del Rio, Culver City, CA
"The Mosaic Project: Robert Pruitt & Shadra Strickland," Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, Lancaster, PA
"Omohle Ntsudu Omnyama," Gallery MOMO, Johannesburg, South Africa
2013
"Fantastic Sagas," Koplin Del Rio, Culver City, CA
"Robert Pruitt: Women," Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY
2012
"Robert Pruitt," Bakersfield Museum of Art, Bakersfield, CA
2011
"The Souls of Black Folk," McKinney Art Center, Dallas, TX
"New American Voices," Fabric Workshop Museum, Philadelphia, PA
"Them From After the End of the World," Koplin Del Rio, Culver City, CA
2010
"The Forever People," Hooks-Epstein Gallery, Houston, TX
2008
"Two Tears in a Bucket: Considering The Alcubierre Metric," Mary Goldman Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2006
"Quiet as Kept," Clementine Gallery, New York, NY
"Perspectives 154: Robert Pruitt," Contemporary Art Museum, Houston, TX
2004
"I call my brother sun because he shines like one," Clementine Gallery, New York, NY
"Cold Kuts and Fresh Beef," Galveston Art Center, Galveston, TX
"Round 18 of Artists’ Installations," Project Row Houses, Houston, TX

Selected Group Exhibitions

2024
"Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, 1876–Now," Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
"Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture," San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SF MoMA), San Francisco, CA
2022-2024
"A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration," Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, MI; Traveling to Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD (2022-2023); Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY (2023); California African American Museum, Los Angeles, CA (2023-2024), Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) Berkeley, CA (2024)
2023
"The Book of HOV: A celebration of the life and work of Shawn "JAY-Z" Carter," The Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, NY
"Perpetual Portrait," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
2022
"In Blackest Shade, In Darkest Light," Curated by Patrick Earl Hammie, Giertz Gallery at Parkland College, Champaign, IL
"Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield South Carolina," The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY; traveling to The Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston, MA
"Us, We, Them," Worcester Art Museum, Worcrester, MA
"A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration," Mississippi Museum of Art; traveling to: Baltimore Museum of Art
2021
"Assembly: New Acquisitions by Contemporary Black Artists," Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, TX
2019
"Perennial," Koplin Del Rio (Pop-up exhibition), Los Angeles, CA
"Men of Steel, Women of Wonder: Modern American Heroes in Contemporary Times," Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR
"Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth, Exhibition," coordinated by the Smithsonian Institution, the 10-city national tour opened at the California African American Museum, Los Angeles, CA, April/May
"Black Refractions | Highlights from the Studio Museum in Harlem," The Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, CA (January 15 – April 14, 2019); Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, SC (May 24 – August 18, 2019);Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, MI (September 13 – December 8, 2019); Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, MA (January 17 – April 12, 2020); Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA (May 9 – August 2, 2020); Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Salt Lake City, UT (August 28 – December 13, 2020)
2018
"People Get Ready | Building A Contemporary Collection," Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, NC
"WOMAN," Koplin Del Rio, Seattle, WA
"We The People," Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, Mesa, AZ
"Out of Africa," Art Village Gallery, Memphis, TN
"MLK50: Beyond the Balcony," Art Village Gallery, Memphis, TN
2017
"LIBERTY.," Koplin Del Rio, Seattle, WA
"Anachronism and Liberation," Asteroid Tiger Strike, Philadelphia, PA
"Z is for Zigzag: Directions Around Northern Manhattan," Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling, New York, NY
"Impressions: African American Artists and Their Connection to African Art," Mesa College Art Gallery, San Diego, CA
"How Far Have We Come," Koplin Del Rio, on Artsy (online exhibition)
2016
"Indivisible: Spirits in the Material World," curated by William Cordova, Prizm Art Fair, Miami, FL
"Time + Space: Futures, Bemis Center, Omaha, NE IDENTITY," Koplin Del Rio, Seattle, WA
2015
"New Editions," Tamarind Institue, Univeristy of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
2013
"Wunderkammer: Miniatures and Curiosities," Koplin Del Rio, Culver City, CA
"The Shadows Took Shape," The Studio Museum Harlem, New York, NY
2012
"Self Possessed: Examining Identity in the 21st Century," Koplin Del Rio, Culver City, CA
"HX8(Houston Times Eight)," Station Museum of Contemporary Art, Houston, TX
2011
"Stargazers, Elizabeth Catlett in conversation with 21 contemporary artists," Bronx Museum, Bronx, NY
2010
"Hangin’ Together," Koplin Del Rio (Guest Curated by Kerry James Marshall), Culver City, CA
2008
"Black Is, Black Ain't" Renaissance Society, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
"S & M: Shrines and Masquerades in Cosmopolitan Times," NYU, Steinhardt Galleries, New York, NY
"New Works: 07.1," curated by Debra Singer, Artpace, San Antonio, TX
"Sweet Sweetback’s Badasssss Song," Von Lintel Gallery, New York, NY
2006
Whitney Biennial Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
"Black Alphabet," The Zacheta Gallery, Warsaw, Poland Frequency, The Studio Museum, New York, NY
"The Texas Prize Exhibition," ArtHouse, Austin, TX (catalog) Texas Artadia Recipients, Diverseworks, Houston, TX
"Art on Paper," The Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, NC
"Black Alphabet," the Zacheta Gallery, Warsaw, Poland
"Intersections: Shifting Identity in Contemporary Art," John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI
"Interstellar Low Ways," Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL
"...but I was cool," Aljira Center for Contemporary Art, Newark, NJ
2005
"Double Consciousness: Black Conceptual Art Since 1970," Contemporary Art Museum Houston, Houston, TX
2004
"Farm to Market," ArtPace, San Antonio, TX
"Texas Prime," Diverseworks, Houston, TX
"SuperSalon," Samson Projects, Boston, MA
2003
"Miniatures," Hooks-Epstein Gallery, Houston, TX
"The Big Show, (first prize)," Lawndale Art Center, Houston, TX
"Splat Boom Pow! The Influence of Cartoons in Contemporary Art," Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, TX
"Come Forward: Emerging Art in Texas," Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX
2002
"Soul Sonic Lustre Silk," Houston Community College, Houston, TX
"The Big Show," Lawndale Art Center, Houston, TX
"Process," Creative Research Lab, Austin, TX
"The Debt," The Old School, Austin, TX
"22 to Watch: New Art in Austin," Austin Museum of Art, Austin, TX
"Safety Gear," D Ramos Studios, Austin, TX

Curatorial Projects

2020
Drawing the Ghost, Koplin Del Rio, Seattle, WA
2013
Coming Through the Gap in the Mountain on an Elephant, University Museum of Texas Southern University, Houston, TX
2012
Stacks, Art League Houston, Houston, TX

Bibliography

2023
Akers, Torey. "Artists including Sheila Hicks and Hank Willis Thomas receive US State Department's Medal of Arts," The Art Newspaper, September 18 (Link)
Valentine, Victoria L. "Art & Diplomacy: U.S. Dept. of State Medal of Arts Bestowed on Robert Pruitt and Hank Willis Thomas at White House Ceremony," CultureType, September 17 (Link)
Dozier, Ayanna. "At the Brooklyn Museum, 12 Artists Poignantly Capture the Legacies of the Great Migration," Artsy, March 7 (Link)
Simblist, Noah. "In Abstract, Haunting, and Poignant Works, Artists Reflect on the Great Migration in a Major Exhibition," Art in America, January 30 (Link)
2022
Solly, Meilan. "See Stunning Portraits of Ava DuVernay, José Andrés and the Williams Sisters," The Smithsonian Magazine, November 16 (Link)
Sheets, Hilarie M. "Behind 3 Champions’ Smithsonian Portraits," The New York Times, November 1 (Link)
2021
Valentine, Victoria L. "On View: 'Robert Pruitt: To Control the Universe' at Salon 94 in New York," Culture Type, September 29 (Link)
2020
Leung, Gabrielle. "Artists of Color Reflect on Own Identities in "Portraiture: A Private Room"," HyperArt, June 4
“5 artists tell us the hardships—and benefits—of creating in isolation,” Document, June 12
2018
“Best of 2018: Our Top 15 Los Angeles Art Shows,” Hyperallergic, December 18
Caldwell, Ellen C., “Robert Pruitt: Devotion,” Riot Material, December 17
Gerwin, Daniel, “The Potent Realism of Robert Pruitt’s Black Portraiture,” Hyperallergic, December 4
“Robert Pruitt’s ‘Devotion’ at California African American Museum,” Blouin Artinfo, November
“Robert Pruitt”, Wall Street International Magazine, October 26
Little, Colony. "Pay Attention to the Loaded Details in Artist Robert Pruitt’s Powerful Images of Devotion," ArtNet New, October 12 (Link)
Onyewuenyi, Ikechukwu, “‘Robert Pruitt: Devotion’ Preview,” Artforum, September
Drew, Kimberly, “Tina Knowles Lawson on Her Black Art Collection, Beyoncé, Solange, and Creativity”, Vanity Fair, September
Cotter, Holland, “A Good Year for Younger Artists, Immigrant Citizens and Outrage”, New York Times, September 6
Howe, Brian, “In Contemporary Showcase People Get Ready, The Nasher’s Progressive Vision Snaps into Blazing Focus”, Indy Weekly, September 6
McGrath, Katherine, “Tina Knowles Lawson on Why Beyoncé and Solange Grew Up Surrounded by an Incredible Art Collection”, Architectural Digest, August 6
2017
Edge, Lisa, “Celestial Figures: Robert Pruitt’s portraits disrupt media narratives of black lives”, Real Change, March 1
Breslaw, Cathy, “IMPRESSIONS: AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS AND THEIR CONNECTION TO AFRICAN ART”, Vanguard Culture, February 8
“San Diego Mesa College Art Gallery Presents IMPRESSIONS”, Broadway World, San Diego, February 2
2016
Agresta, Michael, “Ward Matters: Robert Pruitt’s Art Vividly Portrays the Lives and Dreams of the People who have long called Houston’s Rapidly Gentrifying Neighborhoods Home”, Texas Monthly, December
Mader, Elisa, “IDENTITY: A Visual Artifact”, AEQAI, March
2015
Gerwin, Daniel, “Drawing an Afro-Future with the Past and Present”, HYPERALLERGIC, Dec. 1
Mizota, Sharon, “Critic’s Choice: Robert Pruitt: Futuristic portraits gain a real edge”, LA Times, Nov. 10
Will, Rachel, “Robert Pruitt’s New Works Juxtapose African Culture and Space Objects”, Artsy, Nov. 1
Word, Tanekeya, “Interview: Robert Pruitt”, Saint Heron, March 16
2013
Rosenberg, Karen, Women Inspired to Mix and Match, "Drawings by Robert Pruitt at the Studio Museum in Harlem," The New York Times, August 8
Cembelast, Robin, "Reinventing the African American Portrait," ARTnews, August 1
Ulysse, Gina Athena, "Immeasurable Inspiration: On Robert Pruitt’s Women," The Huffington Post, July 26
Roffino, Sara, "25 Questions for Afrofuturist Artist Robert Pruitt," BLOUINARTINFO International, July 18
2012
Boyd, Robert, "Robert Pruitt: This Rejection of the Conqueror at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas," Glasstire, February 5
2011
Mizota, Sharon, "Robert Pruitt," ARTNews Magazine, Art Reviews, November
Ollman, Leah, "Robert Pruitt at Koplin Del Rio," Los Angeles Times, Art Reviews, August 19
2007
Gupta, Anjali. "Glenn Kaino + Robert Pruitt + Katja Strunz," Art Papers, May/June
Goodard, Dan R. "Caught Between Two Cultures," San Antonio Express-News, Sunday, April 22
Salmon, Lori. "Robert Pruitt," ArtUS, March-April
Wolff, Elaine. "The Art Capades: We Shall (Eventually) Overcome (One Way Or Another)," San Antonio Current, March 22-April 3
Gajkowski-Hill, Sarah. "Perspectives 154: Robert Pruitt," Arts Houston Magazine, February
2006
"Goings On About Town: Robert Pruitt," New Yorker, December 25
Baldwin, Rosecrans. "Quiet As Kept, Interview with Robert Pruitt," The Morning News, December
Cotter, Holland. "The Collective Conscious," The New York Times, (as part of Otabenga Jones and Associates) Sunday, March 5
Golden, Thelma, and Christine Kim. "Frequency," The Studio Museum of Harlem, New York
Iles, Chrissy, and Phillip Verne. "Day for a Night, Whitney Biennial," Whitney Museum of Art
Kerr, Merrily. Otabenga Jones and Associates, "Symmetrical Patterns of Def," Time Out New York, (as part of Otabenga Jones and Associates), February 2-8
2005
Cassel Oliver, Valerie, and Franklin Sirmans. "Double Consciousness, Black Conceptual Art Since 1970, Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston"
2004
Schwendener, Martha. "Robert Pruitt at Clementine," Time Out New York, August 5-12
"Robert Pruitt at Clementine," The New Yorker, August 9 & 16
Psyllos, Steven. "Robert Pruitt," New York Press, August 3
2003
Weaver, Suzanne. et al. "Come Forward: Emerging Art in Texas," Dallas Museum of Art

Awards, Fellowships, and Grants

2022
Studio Museum in Harlem's Joyce Alexander Wein Artist Prize
2014
Idea Fund Grant
2013
Joan Mitchell Foundation Artist Grant
William H. Johnson Prize
2009
Art Matters Travel Grant
2007
Creative Capital Foundation grant (Otabenga Jones)
Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation fellowship grant
2004
Artadia Artist Grant
1999
The Arch and Anne Giles Kimbrough Fund award, Dallas Museum of Art
Emerging Artist Grant, Cultural Arts Council of Houston

Catalogues and Publications

2024
Tommasino, Akili. "Look Inside Flight into Egypt Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, 1876-Now," Yale University Press and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Residencies

2016
Joan Mitchell Foundation Artist in Residence, New Orleans, LA
2015
Tamarind Institute, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Gallery MOMO, Johannesburg, South Africa
Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha, NE
Gallery MOMO, Johannesburg, South Africa
2014
Tamarind Institute, Albuquerque, NM
2007
ArtPace Residency, San Antonio, TX
2002
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, ME

Public Collections

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
The Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, TX
Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR
Art Museum of Greater Lafayette at Purdue University, Lafayette, IN
Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, TX
Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX
Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
Nasher Museum of Art, Duke University, Durham, NC
Portland Museum of Art, Portland, OR
Studio Museum of Harlem, NY
University Museum, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX
US Embassy, Zimbabwe
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA