Weekly Artist Feature | Tau Lewis

Tau Lewis (b. 1993) is a self-taught Jamaican-Canadian artist based in Brooklyn, New York. Her multidisciplinary practice encompasses sculpture, textile, and installation, utilizing hand-sewn, carved, and assembled works crafted from reclaimed materials such as fabric, leather, shells, and found objects. Through labor-intensive processes, Lewis explores themes of Black identity, diasporic memory, and ancestral healing.

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Click here to learn more about the artist →

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Her work is deeply rooted in the traditions of African diasporic communities, emphasizing resourcefulness and the spiritual significance of materials. By repurposing materials imbued with personal and communal histories, she creates works that serve as vessels for storytelling and remembrance. Her practice is informed by her Jamaican heritage and the broader context of Black cultural production, aiming to honor and continue diasporic practices of art-making.

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Highlights: 

• Lewis undertook a 13-week residency at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, culminating in her first institutional solo exhibition in Canada, “When You Last Found Me Here”.
• Awarded the Frieze Frame Stand Prize in 2018 for her solo presentation with Cooper Cole Gallery at Frieze New York, recognizing her innovative approach to sculpture and assemblage.
• She was awarded the Ezratti Family Prize for Sculpture in 2023 from the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, honoring her exceptional contributions to the field of sculpture.
•  She’s the recipient of multiple grants from Canada Council for the Arts Grants including the Project Grant (2022) and Exhibition Assistance Grants (2019, 2021), supporting her ongoing artistic endeavors.
• Her work is included in the permanent collections of several prominent institutions, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art,  Metropolitan Museum of Art Library Collection, National Gallery of Canada, Institute of Contemporary Art Miami, and Hammer Museum.‍
• Click the link to learn more about Tau Lewis and her work through her Instagram and website.

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Current Exhibition

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Spotlight: Tau Lewis – Institute of Contemporary Art, San Francisco (ICA) (May 16 - Dec 7, 2025)

This exhibition features her monumental textile sculpture Opus (The Ovule), a work that merges elements of the feminine and masculine, human and plant, to envision a genderless utopia.

Are you in or near San Francisco (ICA)? Don’t miss this — Click here to get details and plan your visit today! →

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“The ways of the underworld are perfect” – Sadie Coles HQ, London, UK (June 3 – July 19, 2025)

This exhibition presents four sculptural masks that personify chapters in the odyssey of Venus in retrograde, exploring themes of grief, inner child healing, and shadow selves.

Are you in or near London, UK? Don’t miss this — Click here to get details and plan your visit today! →

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Past Exhibitions

• Spirit Level – Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA, USA (2024–2025)
• Coloratura – The Polygon Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada (2024–2025)
• Spirit Level – David Zwirner Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA (2025)
• Vox Populi, Vox Dei – 52 Walker, New York, NY, USA (2022)
• When Last You Found Me Here – Kenderdine Art Gallery, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada (2019)

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Works

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