Austin Martin White

Born 1984 in Detroit, MI, USA

Lives and works in Philadelphia, PA, USA

Austin Martin White‘s artistic practice explores images that shape our historical memory, drawing on archival research that addresses issues of identity, race and postcolonialism. White received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Cooper Union and holds a Master of Fine Arts in painting from The Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts at Bard College.

Using acrylic, spray-paint, vinyl, 3m reflective fabric and screen mesh mediums, the artist has developed a unique approach that combines paintings and works on paper with printmaking techniques, intertwining his themes with the historical conditions of the materials themselves. The play of references permeating throughout his work operates like active traces that continuously recur in the past and influence the present. The artist explores and reworks images that shape our historical memory, drawing on archival research of 17th and 18th century image production through mediums such as prints, tapestries, and paintings.

Austin will have a solo show at Petzel in September 2025.

Austin Martin White's works were on view in the group show Overflow, Afterglow New Work in Chromatic Figuration at the Jewish Museum, New York in 2024. The artist held his first solo show at Capitain Petzel, Berlin in 2022, followed by a solo exhibition at Petzel Gallery, New York in 2023. He has also exhibited at Derek Eller Gallery, New York in 2023 and 2021 alongside artist Kathia St. Hilaire, as well as at T293, Rome and at Y2K, New York. His work is part of the permanent collection of The Marieluise Hessel Foundation, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson.