Born in 1986 in Cape Town, South Africa, Samson first began painting after joining a shared artist studio, Isibane Creative Arts, in Khayelitsha, an improvised township on the outskirts of the city. A self-taught artist, he weaves together the classical and the contemporary, creating images with symbolic, spiritual and social inferences. Certain markers, present throughout his oeuvre, define the character of his universe: protagonists with pupil-less eyes, sometimes shaven-headed and wearing denim jeans, are presented in formal, ceremonious poses.
In a sombre palette of muted tones, he samples different painterly techniques and treatments within a single work, creating composites which, in his own words ‘revel in the material quality of oil painting’.
Samson also incorporates elements of everyday life into his compositions, building a visual language that reflects the complexity of South African society, as well as his own identity.
In October 2021, Flag Art Foundation in New York will host a major solo exhibition of the artist’s work, followed by a London exhibition at White Cube in 2022.
About the Artist
Cinga Samson was born in 1986 in Cape Town, South Africa, where he lives and works. His solo exhibitions include blank projects, (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019); and Perrotin Gallery, New York (2020). Group exhibitions include ‘Mapping Black Identities’, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis (2020); Kubatana, Vestfossen Kunstlaboratorium, Øvre Eiker (2019); and Hacer Noche, Centro Cultural Santo Domingo, Oaxaca de Juarez (2018).
? White Cube’s public programme extends across four spaces: Bermondsey in South London; Mason’s Yard in St. James’s, London; Hong Kong Central district and White Cube Online. The gallery’s offices are also located in Paris and New York. Since its inception in 1993, White Cube has exhibited the work of many of the world’s most highly acclaimed contemporary artists.
