Essex Hemphill

This exhibition charts the relationship between the writings of poet and activist Essex Hemphill (b. 1957, Chicago, IL; d. 1995, Philadelphia, PA) and contemporary visual art. Born in Chicago and raised in Washington, DC, Hemphill emerged as a luminary in the DC arts scene of the 80s and 90s. He self-published chapbooks including Earth Life (1985) and Conditions (1986), before publishing his full-length collection Ceremonies: Prose and Poetry (1992). While Hemphill died of AIDS-related illness at just 38, his work persists, reflected in visual dialogues with his contemporaries and inheritors such as Lyle Ashton Harris and Isaac Julien, and a new generation of artists such as Diedrick Brackens and Tiona Nekkia McClodden. 

This exhibition is organized by The Phillips Collection. 

IMAGE: Shikeith, Visiting Hours, 2022, Archival inkjet print on Photo Rag Baryta Paper, 49 x 60 in., Courtesy of the artist