Alexis Ralaivao: Éloge de l’ombre (In Praise of Shadows)

Kasmin presents an exhibition of new paintings by Alexis Ralaivao (b. 1991, France), Éloge de l’ombre (In Praise of Shadows), at 509 West 27th Street in New York. This marks Kasmin’s second solo exhibition of Ralaivao’s work, and the first since announcing representation of the artist in 2024.

For Éloge de l’ombre (In Praise of Shadows), Ralaivao unveils a suite of new paintings rendered entirely in black and white. Working within the self-imposed parameters of a reduced palette, Ralaivao sharpens his attention to composition, light and shadow. In arresting portraits and still life tableaux, Ralaivao magnifies the most subtle of details at grand scale by strategically framing his subjects. Influenced by film noir, Ralaivao’s works absorb the viewer into a romanticized world of drama and suspense as if the viewer has arrived at a narrative in media res.

Shadows command the compelling tenor of Ralaivao’s compositions. The artist employs a stark use of light to create depth and model the forms of his subjects and their material surroundings. In one example, the shadows absorb the neck of a figure who pulls softly at the collar of her sweater, exposing the glimmer of a metallic necklace. In another, a figure under a narrow spotlight savors the solace of anonymity. More than the enigma of darkness, Ralaivao’s shadows offer a profound gravitas that contrasts the presence of light in the reflective shine of an earring or the transparent shimmer of glass tableware.

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