Umar Rashid (b. 1976, Chicago, IL) makes paintings, drawings, and sculptures that chronicle the grand historical fiction of the Frenglish Empire (1648–1880) that he has been developing for over seventeen years. Each work represents a frozen moment from this parallel world that often recalls our own fraught histories—both canonized and marginalized—with familiar signifiers and iconographies that channel the visual lexicons of hip hop, ancient and modern pop culture, gang and prison life, and revolutionary movements throughout time.
"The siege of Santa Monica from the bay. Viewing party in the Palisades Or, when Megatron shows up, expect the worst. The little red corvette battle ship of the Imperial Spanish Navy, sails into Santa Monica Bay and destroys the statue of Calafia and a few other monuments. Meanwhile, the Company Cazador is planning to assault via land from the Palisades but are interrupted by a rowdy outing and an assassination attempt. Black and White Jesus shielded their eyes in the Trans-Am.," 2021, Umar Rashid. Acrylic on canvas. Photo: Josh Schaedel. Courtesy of the artist and BLUM Los Angeles, Tokyo, New York. © Umar Rashid.
