PAFA showing "William Villalongo: Myths and Migrations" through August 31

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The walls at PAFA have come alive with "William Villalongo: Myths and Migrations."

Leah Triplett, Curator of Contemporary Art for The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), points out a work called Olympia's Window for its "majestic use of color."

"It's an exhibition of 20 years of work spanning painting, drawing, works on paper, sculpture, video performance," says Triplett. "Materially it is so enticing."

It's on view in the 7,000-square-foot Fisher Brooks Gallery inside the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building.

"His work is really looking at the presence or invisibility of Blackness across time and space," she says. "Thinking about how the Black body shows up."

There are figural and narrative paintings, like 27 Hour Cargo Piece.

"He has a Black body in certain myths and certain historical instances," she says.

Villalongo's 27 Hour Cargo Piece tells the story of Henry Box Brown who mailed himself to freedom in Philadelphia.

That piece and others features his cut paper technique.

"He's literally cutting into, incising into paper," says Triplett. "He wanted to create a really perfect drawn line."

Villalongo is also known for using velvet flocking.

"The texture is something that really draws the viewer in," she says. "We can literally go through a portal and see what's happening inside."

There are about 35 works in the exhibition, along with many drawings.

"He's looking at a lot of art history," she says.

In his work there is Greek myth, but also stories and histories from the African American tradition.

"This is pretty provocative, thought-provoking contemporary art," she says.

Although there is so much that's recognizable, Triplett says "he's kind of twisting it and transforming it and presenting it in a totally new way."

"I hope that people have a transformative experience," she says.

PAFA is showing "William Villalongo: Myths and Migrations" through August 31, 2025.

For more information:

PAFA - "William Villalongo: Myths and Migrations"
Link to Tickets at the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building

Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building
128 N. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102