Nari Ward and Robin Rhode are wall-to-wall at Lehmann Maupin Hong Kong
For their first dual exhibition, two very distinctive artists explore the symbolic and communal potential of ‘the wall’

The works of Nari Ward and Robin Rhode combine themes of social injustice and unity. In ‘Power Wall’, a dual exhibition at Lehmann Maupin Hong Kong, the artists have joined forces for the first time to offer a unique perspective on the complex global socio-political landscape and the dichotomy of power.
Throughout the space, installations are intertwined, creating a feeling of collectiveness: in between Robin Rhode’s narrative photographic works, Nari Ward’s Shoelaces series – in which a web of often-vibrantly coloured shoelaces appear to protrude directly from the gallery walls – reveals a web of evocative sentences and symbols. ‘I try to use the quotidian materials to stimulate an immediate dialogue with the viewer’, says the Jamaica-born, New York-based artist, emphasising the importance of creating a familiar, unified environment for his audience. Inciting a spirit of community seems to be the core of his creative mission: one piece depicts a clenched fist, a universal symbol of solidarity.
Nari Ward, Sole Revel, 2020, Shoelaces.
Ward’s engagement with walls is both political and metaphorical, reflecting a need for constant reconsideration of their purpose. ‘Projected onto the idea of a wall are two notions, that of function (i.e. support) and also of division (i.e. control)’, he says. ‘The dialogue I’m interested in examining exists between these two notions, as well as between the simultaneously indomitable yet vulnerable human spirit.’
Nari Ward, Power Wall - Power People, 2019, Shoelaces.
For Rhode, the wall represents a channel for both individual expression and broader socio-political concerns. In this show, the South African artist unveils a series of evocative installations that combine performance and photography. In S, Rhode’s protagonist performs in front of a paperclip mural applied onto an urban façade. As the series evolves, the letter ‘S’ – a reference to the infinity symbol – begins to emerge. These performative, repetitive works are less about what the artist leaves behind in the urban environment, and more about developing a fictional storyboard – inspired in part by early methods of motion photography.
Robin Rhode, S, 2014 (detail), C-print.
Rhode’s engagement with walls as a medium was spurred on by a desire to disperse his ideas more widely: ‘The question I asked myself was “how could my art reach a broader public away from the confines of the white cube exhibition space”?’ For him, the concept of walls extends to confronting ‘the ephemerality of art, the public accessibility to art, but also to the art-making process when considering ideas of scale and socio-political engagement.’
Both artists hold highly distinctive practices, yet Nari Ward and Robin Rhode share a similar goal: identifying the wall to anchor a sense of strength, solidarity and communication in a divided society.
INFORMATION
'Robin Rhode & Nari Ward: Power Wall', until May 16, Lehmann Maupin, Hong Kong. lehmannmaupin.com
ADDRESS
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Lehmann Maupin
407, Pedder Building
12 Pedder Street, Central
Hong Kong
-
Fluid workspaces: is the era of prescriptive office design over?
We discuss evolving workspaces and track the shape-shifting interiors of the 21st century. If options are what we’re after in office design, it looks like we’ve got them
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
This collection of slow furniture is a powerful ode to time
A serene exhibition of David Dolcini's 'Time-made' collection has fast-tracked its place into our hearts and homes
By Ifeoluwa Adedeji Published
-
Is the Pragma P1 the most sustainable watch yet?
Geneva-based brand Pragma combines industrial design with real sustainable credentials
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Desert X 2025 review: a new American dream grows in the Coachella Valley
Will Jennings reports from the epic California art festival. Here are the highlights
By Will Jennings Last updated
-
In ‘The Last Showgirl’, nostalgia is a drug like any other
Gia Coppola takes us to Las Vegas after the party has ended in new film starring Pamela Anderson, The Last Showgirl
By Billie Walker Published
-
‘American Photography’: centuries-spanning show reveals timely truths
At the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Europe’s first major survey of American photography reveals the contradictions and complexities that have long defined this world superpower
By Daisy Woodward Published
-
Sundance Film Festival 2025: The films we can't wait to watch
Sundance Film Festival, which runs 23 January - 2 February, has long been considered a hub of cinematic innovation. These are the ones to watch from this year’s premieres
By Stefania Sarrubba Published
-
What is RedNote? Inside the social media app drawing American users ahead of the US TikTok ban
Downloads of the Chinese-owned platform have spiked as US users look for an alternative to TikTok, which faces a ban on national security grounds. What is Rednote, and what are the implications of its ascent?
By Anna Solomon Published
-
Architecture and the new world: The Brutalist reframes the American dream
Brady Corbet’s third feature film, The Brutalist, demonstrates how violence is a building block for ideology
By Billie Walker Published
-
‘Gas Tank City’, a new monograph by Andrew Holmes, is a photorealist eye on the American West
‘Gas Tank City’ chronicles the artist’s journey across truck-stop America, creating meticulous drawings of fleeting moments
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Intimacy, violence and the uncanny: Joanna Piotrowska in Philadelphia
Artist and photographer Joanna Piotrowska stages surreal scenes at the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania
By Hannah Silver Published