Simone Leigh’s handsome show of new work at Matthew Marks Gallery in Chelsea features several sculptures of female figures in skirts that, with their substantial size, convey power and solidity. Larger than life, the torso and head of this generalized individual is nevertheless small in comparison to her skirt. Composed of giant ceramic cowry shells, the material nods to past forms of currency and to esoteric spiritual knowledge. Resembling the domed shapes of traditional Musgum architecture, West African spiritual objects, and face jugs from the American South, and alluding to many other aspects of African and diasporic culture, Leigh’s beautiful figures manifest complex cultural heritage and histories. (On view in Chelsea through Dec 14th).
