Susan Inglett Gallery is pleased to present Second Skin, a solo exhibition by Ryan Wallace, on view from 11 June through 4 September 2026. An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Thursday, 11 June 2026, from 6 to 8 PM.
Second Skin was developed through Wallace’s ongoing interaction with and renegotiation of materials, the lineage of which can be traced back through his canon. Compositional forms arise from the remnants of earlier works, repurposing what was once left behind.
Materials employed for structural integrity and support begin to reveal themselves materially. Through Wallace’s distinctive technique of layering and joining, the verso of the works becomes as compelling as the face. In Second Skin, Wallace blurs the line between front and back, between public and private. Unresolved or unfinished works are resurrected, and excised components are applied with renewed aesthetic intent. The translucent dermis of fiberglass sheeting becomes, as the title suggests, a second skin, forming new planes for Wallace to cover and cut into.
The works are formally in concert, with line, shape, and geometric motifs repeated across Wallace’s extensive material list, which includes, but is not limited to, oil, enamel, acrylic, aluminum, copper, linen, canvas, and fiberglass, each introducing a textural presence to the surface. The paintings are abstract and mercurial; each layer or element is assembled with a lyrical intent.
The exhibition is titled after a song on The Chameleon’s 1983 debut album. Musical inspiration is vital to Wallace’s practice, as the melodies and emotional tone guide his hand. These works were made with this in mind, the song, and in turn, the works described by Wallace as “ethereal and familiar and abstract and desolate and raw, but beautiful and melodic.”
