# Deborah Roberts: O’ Say Can’t You See

URL: https://vielmetter.com/exhibitions/deborah-roberts-o-say-can-t-you-see/
September 4 — October 16, 2021 · Gallery III · Artists: Deborah Roberts

Vielmetter Los Angeles is thrilled to announce “O’ Say Can’t You See,” Deborah Roberts’ second solo exhibition at the gallery. Roberts’ work is on view from September 4, 2021, until October 16, 2021.

Roberts’ new collages on canvas and paper portray the humanity and grace of Black children as they face the harsh and relentless reality of a society that seeks to see and treat them as adults. Over the last decade, Roberts has primarily focused on imaging young girls, originally beginning with self-portraits of herself as a child, and she has in the last few years begun to incorporate young boys. Working in collage with sourced imagery and increasingly incorporating hand-drawn and painted elements, Roberts portrays the vulnerability, strength, and beauty of these children. The exhibition’s title, “O’ Say Can’t You See,” repurposes text from the national anthem and posits the question to the viewer: can’t you see these children as children, deserving of the same care and dignity afforded to their peers?