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
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
-
A European-style café opens next to London’s Saatchi Gallery
Designed by Dion & Arles, Cafe Linea serves fresh pâtisseries, global dishes and sparkling wines in a stunning Grade II-listed setting
-
Home is where Beethoven Market is – a joyful Italian restaurant in LA’s Mar Vista
In Mar Vista, a historic space is reborn as a modern-day gathering spot, an Italian-infused restaurant where rotisserie chicken, handmade pasta and tableside tiramisu welcome you like family
-
This Canadian house is a precise domestic composition perched on the Nova Scotian coast
Bishop McDowell completed a new Canadian house overlooking the Atlantic, using minimal details and traditional forms to create a refined family home
-
Mystic, feminine and erotic: the power of Penny Slinger’s bodies as landscape
Artist Penny Slinger continues her exploration of the sacred, surreal feminine in a Santa Monica exhibition, ‘Meeting at the Horizon’
-
Photographer Geordie Wood takes a leap of faith with first film, Divers
Geordie Wood delved into the world of professional diving in Fort Lauderdale for his first film
-
New book celebrates 100 years of New York City landmarks where LGBTQ+ history took place
Marc Zinaman’s ‘Queer Happened Here: 100 Years of NYC’s Landmark LGBTQ+ Places’ is a vital tribute to queer culture
-
A major Takashi Murakami exhibition sees the world in kaleidoscopic colour
The Cleveland Art Museum presents 'Takashi Murakami 'Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow', exploring outrage and escapist fantasy
-
Ai Weiwei’s new public installation is coming soon to Four Freedoms State Park
‘Camouflage’ by Ai Weiwei will launch the inaugural Art X Freedom project in September 2025, a new programme to investigate social justice and freedom
-
Leonard Baby's paintings reflect on his fundamentalist upbringing, a decade after he left the church
The American artist considers depression and the suppressed queerness of his childhood in a series of intensely personal paintings, on show at Half Gallery, New York
-
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
-
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