Selected Works

Elliott Templeton Fine Arts is delighted to present a selection of five works from the British artist Alessandro Raho in the gallery’s first solo exhibition. Raho is best known for his series of portraits that feature intimate studies of figures—friends, family, and cultural icons alike—posed informally against a white backdrop. This show marks twenty years since his previous New York solo presentation at Cheim and Read in 2003, which followed Raho’s first showing in the United States as part of the landmark 1996 exhibition Brilliant! at the Walker Art Center, which introduced America to the phenomenon of Young British Artists. In this show, Raho’s paintings and drawings highlight his close friend and fellow artist, Ewan Gibbs. In Ewan (2023), Raho's newest work underscores the Elliott Templeton focus on the male form, as Gibbs models in the nude, quietly staring at the viewer. Raho’s refined hand elicits a soft blur at every detail’s edge, through which the subject emerges out of a luminescent sfumato. The ethereal white surroundings assert the figure into a mutually contemplative presence with the audience. Two tropical beachside landscapes complement the portraits, depicting tranquil snapshots from the artist’s birthplace in Nassau, Bahamas. In the back room, two drawings by Gibbs are displayed alongside a selection of drawings from the British artist and poet David Robilliard (1952-1988).