B R I N T Z + COUNTY is pleased to present Afro Sublime, an exhibition of works by Irvin Pascal that examines a pivotal moment in the artist’s early development, where painting expands into a materially driven, object-based practice.
Constructed from papyrus, raffia, bark, stitched fibers, and layered pigments, Pascal’s works are built rather than painted. Their assembled surfaces—cut, joined, and bound—place them in close dialogue with sculpture, emphasizing weight, structure, and physical presence over purely visual effect. Many of the compositions take on a totemic or architectural quality, suggesting objects that exist as much in space as on the wall.
Pascal’s engagement with ancient African sculptural traditions is evident not as direct reference, but as method: a focus on how raw, elemental materials can carry meaning, memory, and psychological charge. These works operate with the authority of constructed forms—simultaneously grounded and symbolic.
The title Afro Sublime reflects an underlying tension within the work. Influenced in part by the writings of Edmund Burke, Pascal moves beyond traditional notions of beauty toward a more complex register—where density, repetition, and material force create a sense of intensity and presence.
Seen together, the works in Afro Sublime mark a defining moment in Pascal’s practice, where material, structure, and cultural memory converge into a language that continues to shape his work today.
Irvin Pascal is a British multi-disciplinary artist whose practice encompasses painting, performance, sculpture, and installation, rooted in Afro-diasporic identity, ritual, and abstraction. His work is defined by layered materiality and poetic intensity, often utilizing his own “Pascollar,” a medium composed of hemp fibers, and sand that embodies themes of hybridity, memory, and mythology. Through both live performance and object-based work, Pascal interrogates masculinity and personal narrative while engaging with broader cultural histories. He has presented solo exhibitions internationally, including projects at Simchowitz Gallery in Los Angeles, GNYP in Berlin and Liverpool, and County Gallery in Palm Beach, while his performances have been staged at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, the Liverpool Biennial at the Bluecoat, and the National Maritime Museum.
He has collaborated with and been championed by figures such as Elsa James, Yinka Shonibare CBE, and David A. Bailey MBE, further contextualizing his work within global dialogues on identity and contemporary art. His practice is represented in notable private and corporate collections including the Simchowitz Collection, Soho House, Simmons & Simmons LLP, and Hogan Lovells International LLP. Featured in Bloomberg New Contemporaries and invited to speak at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair and Stephen Friedman Gallery, Pascal has also been profiled across media outlets ranging from The Art Newspaper and The New York Times to Forbes, Vogue, and Elle Decoration. Constantly evolving across media, geography, and cultural discourse, Pascal remains a vital voice within the contemporary art landscape.