05/10/2026
Stan Squirewell () built a house to hold his family history. At the center of "The Weight of Grace," his new exhibition at Harlem’s Claire Oliver Gallery, is a ten-foot structure made from reclaimed wood. Placed inside is the oldest photograph he owns of an ancestor: a fifth-generation grandfather who fought in the Civil War. For the 48-year-old artist, the house brings together decades of painting, photography, collage, and performance with the histories of his blood family and the Black artists who became his creative family. At the link in bio, Zito Madu () traces the people, histories, and inherited practices that gave Squirewell the tools to build a home of his own.
Written by Zito Madu ()
Photos courtesy of Stan Squirewell and Claire Oliver Gallery