The Black Drawings: Works on Paper is an elegant catalogue published to accompany Wes Lang: The Black Drawings, one of two London exhibitions marking Wes Lang’s UK debut, opening on 27 September 2024 and running until 22 November 2024 at HENI Gallery. The exhibition showcases the complete series of The Black Drawings, created between 2022 and 2024, now on display for the first time.

This book is dedicated entirely to Lang’s prolific output in drawing, featuring 96 works crafted using acrylic, crayon and pencil. As George Vasey notes, the drawings mark ‘a shift in the artist’s approach.’ The dark, otherworldly characters from his paintings — skeletons and disembodied skulls — remain, but now inhabit blank white spaces, intricately inscribed with playful expressions and phrases that echo Taoist philosophy, reflecting the spiritual foundations of Lang’s practice. More than just companions to his immense paintings, the drawings stand as a significant body of work, continuing to demonstrate the breadth of Lang’s influences — ranging from fine art icons such as Francis Bacon, James Ensor, Francisco Goya, and Alfred Munnings, to the kitsch imagery of his childhood. Lang effortlessly metabolises these disparate inspirations, creating a distinctive style that transcends mediums and expresses a deeply personal artistic voice that feels cohesive rather than fragmented or frenetic.

Published in association with Newport Street Gallery, The Black Drawings catalogue presents more than 100 stunning reproductions, offering yet another intimate glimpse into the richness of Lang’s artistic mind and the world he has created for himself.

Wes Lang (b. 1972) is an LA-based, American artist renowned for his evocative artworks on canvas and paper. Born in New Jersey, Lang knew from an early age that he wanted to be an artist. Over the years, he has gathered a myriad of references, creating an unbreakable thread between his childhood and the distinctive motifs that define his current practice. Lang’s work is featured in prestigious international collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Damien Hirst’s personal collection.  George Vasey is a curator, lecturer and writer. Since 2008, he has curated over 50 exhibitions across the academic, public and commercial sector. He has curated large-scale historic groups exhibitions, solo projects, radio shows, residencies, books and conferences. His writing on art, museum culture and heritage is regularly published in magazines, journals and books.