painting

L’Merchie Frazier in conversation with artist Robert Freeman.

This is the third in a weekly series presenting highlights of conversations between Boston artist Paul Goodnight and leading Black visual artists in New England. In this week’s podcast, Goodnight interviews Larry Pierce.

Local visual artist Narvicto DeJesus grew up in the company of a large cast of fictional characters. He laughed along with the adventures of Calvin and Hobbes, raised an eyebrow at the dramatics of Marvel superheroes and won gold stars with the beloved eponymous explorer in Super Mario 64. Now, the artist has created his own cast of characters that represent deep-seated emotions and his Puerto Rican background.

“A Place for Me: Figurative Painting Now,” on view through September 5 at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, presents 40 works by eight contemporary artists, four men and four women. Most are individuals of color or self-described as queer. 

“Untold Stories” at Boston’s Fountain Street Gallery explores the interiors of humans and their spaces. Featured artists Alexandra Rozenman and Anita Loomis turn a thoughtful, humorous eye to the day-to-day stories we keep to ourselves.

When painter Alexandre Emmanuel Henrique emigrated from Brazil in 2004, it was nature that introduced him to the United States. Through his travels all over the country, particularly in California and New England, the artist discovered landscapes, animals, insects and phenomena he had never encountered in South America. These discoveries inspired “Elements,” an exhibition at Piano Craft Gallery in Boston through June 24.