Actress Alexis, 2024

Artspace in partnership with Performa is pleased to announce a new limited edition print by renowned contemporary artist Tschabalala Self, entitled The Actress Alexis, 2024.

Self’s new editions embody the artist’s signature style, characterized by bold colors, dynamic forms, and profound narrative depth. The exclusive edition includes only ten unique prints, each with hand-painted finishes. The layered technique used to create the edition underscores Self's multidisciplinary approach and her long-standing connection to printmaking in her practice. The Actress Alexis is a portrait of Alexis Cofield, one of the principal actors in Self’s experimental play Sounding Board, commissioned for Performa in 2021. The play explores themes of intimacy, control, and interpersonal relations as they intersect with race and gender. 

“One of the main concepts in my practice is that one's identity is a reflection of many aspects and formed through a host of varying experiences. Some aspects are inherent, while other aspects are experience-based. I try to articulate this idea by using various materials from various sources.” — Tschabalala Self

Self's work has garnered significant recognition in recent years, and has been included in prestigious exhibitions that have toured internationally such as the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Barbican Centre, and The Brooklyn Museum. In the remainder of 2024, Self will be honored at the Swiss Institute, Hirshhorn Museum, and Performa. Self is the recipient of the 2026 Fourth Plinth Commission to create a new public installation in London’s Trafalgar Square. She is currently the subject of a solo exhibition at the Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Finland.

Proceeds from the sale of The Actress Alexis will benefit Performa and support their mission to award and produce Performa Commissions that result in new live performances by exceptional American and international contemporary artists; to present the three-week international Performa Biennial of live performance featuring these new commissions at venues across New York City; to offer public education programs and exhibitions; and to disseminate performance related content, context and commentary through our archives and digital content channels that reach global audiences.

Tschabalala Self (b.1990 Harlem, USA) lives and works in Upstate, NY. Self is an artist and builds a singular style from the syncretic use of painting, printmaking and sculpture to explore ideas surrounding the black body. She constructs depictions of predominantly women using a combination of sewn, printed, and painted materials, traversing different artistic and craft traditions. The formal and conceptual aspects of Self's work seek to expand her critical inquiry into selfhood and human flourishing. Recent solo exhibitions and performances include Kunstmuseum, St. Gallen (2023); Le Consortium, Dijon (2022); Performa 2021 Biennial, New York City (2021); Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore (2021); ICA, Boston (2020); Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; Art Omi, Ghent (2019); Frye Art Museum, Seattle (2019) and Yuz Museum, Shanghai (2018). Her work has been exhibited at ARKEN Museum of Modern Art, Ishøj (2022); Haus der Kunst, Munich (2022); Kunsthalle Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf (2021); Brooklyn Museum, New York (2021); Pinakothek Der Moderne, Munich (2021); Centro Pecci Prato, Prato (2020/21); MOCA Jacksonville, Jacksonville (2020); The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, Saratoga Springs (2020); Pérez Art Museum, Miami (2020); Kunstverein Hannover, Hannover (2020); Whitechapel Gallery, London (2020); Rubell Museum, Miami (2019); Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin (2019); Philadelphia Art Museum, Philadelphia; Museum of Modern art San Diego (2019); MoMA PS1, New York (2019); Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw (2019); Jewish Museum, San Francisco (2019); Le Centre Régional d'Art Contemporain OCCITANIE / Pyrénées-Méditerranée, Sète (2018); Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville (2018); University Art Museum, Albany State University, Albany (2018); Mana Contemporary, Jersey City (2018); New Museum, New York (2017); Tramway, Glasgow (2017); Parasol Unit Foundation for Contemporary Art, London (2017); The Museum of Sex, New York (2017), Art and Practice, Los Angeles (2016), The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York (2016).

All our frames are manufactured in the USA, using eco-friendly and sustainably sourced engineered hardwood for durability and a uniform finish that is free of defects. Frames are available in Black or White Satin and Honey Pecan.

All prints are hinged to a conservation quality, acid-free and lignin-free Alpha Cellulose matboard, using an acid-free linen tape. The mat's surface paper is fade and bleed resistant and is attached to a conservation quality foam-core mounting board that will keep the work safe from deterioration over time. Artworks with a deckled or decorative edges will be floated on the matboard, with acrylic spacers to separate the art from the glazing. All mounting is fully reversible, without any potential damage to the art.

All of our frames come with picture quality .090 mm plexiglass, which blocks 66% of UV to prevent color fading from exposure to light, keeping your art protected for years to come. It is now considered the industry standard for artists, museums and galleries throughout the world.

For images up to 30" x 40"

• 1 1/4” wide, 3/4” deep, with a 2 1/2” wide mat.
• We generally leave 1/4” - 1/2” of paper showing around the image, to accommodate signatures and for visual appeal.

For sheet sizes larger than 30” x 40" please contact an Artspace advisor for a custom quote.

Our art editions ship in 7 to 10 business days from New York.

Our framed art editions ship in 11 to 14 business days from New York.

This work is eligible for return within 30 days of receipt of delivery.

Questions about this work?

Interested in other works by this artist or other artists? We will source them for you.

Contact an Artspace Advisor at advisor@artspace.com