In Solo Show, a new series from T Magazine, we ask Black artists to curate a list of three treasured works that they’ve encountered or made, and to reflect on how their practice connects to a broader art lineage.
In 2020, the figurative painter Cece Philips, 29, left her career in advertising to pursue art full-time. She moved back into her parents’ home in West London, and soon became known for her large-scale oil paintings of interior scenes at nightfall, often using a vibrant palette to depict women in or around strategically lit windows, doors and rooms. Here, she discusses two of the artworks that have most influenced her practice, and one of her own, which continues her exploration of spectatorship and voyeurism and will soon be on view in the three-person exhibition “Interior Motives” at Hauser & Wirth in London.
The first work that inspired her
Barkley L. Hendricks’s “What’s Going On” (1974)
Barkley Hendricks has had a big influence on me stylistically. I love the way he paints — it’s smooth and buttery. I first encountered his work when this piece was exhibited as part of the Tate Modern’s 2017 show “Soul of a Nation” [which explored the contributions of African American artists during and after the Civil Rights movement]. At that time, I was studying history at the University of Bristol, and we were doing a unit on 1960s America. Much like the exhibition, [the course] had a lot of difficult imagery. I was drawn to “What’s Going On” more than any other piece because it radiated empowerment: The Black figures contrasted with the white suits and background immediately drew my eye to their faces, their expressions and small details like their lipstick, sideburns and the casual way they held their hands — comfortable and assured. It was the first time I’d seen an artwork in a show that represented Black figures in a manner reminiscent of the large portraits of nobility at the National Gallery in London.
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