Noah Davis had a short but fascinating life. Honouring the boundless creativity of the late artist, this debut retrospective presented at the Barbican in London, cements Noah Davis as one of the most singular and evocative painters to emerge in recent years.

This exhibition gathers more than 50 works, exploring the artist’s interest in Ancient Egypt, experimentation and landscape. His admiration for other artists such as Peter Doig is also evident in his paintings.

Often enigmatic, his paintings pulse with an acute sensitivity to the human experience and the emotional landscapes of the everyday. Drawing from personal archives and art history, Davis constructed a breathtakingly poetic visual language.

Spanning painting, video, and photography, the exhibition is simply stunning with an amazing selection of works. The space has been reconfigured with cream-coloured panels and intimate rooms with great effects.

Driven by an earnest desire to “represent the people around him”, Davis captured figures in moments of quiet contemplation and vibrant movement—diving into pools, dancing, sleeping, and engaging with art. His work exists in a liminal space, balancing realism with dreamlike ambiguity, joy with melancholy, and brilliantly depict Black Life.

Beyond his artistic contributions, Davis co-founded The Underground Museum in 2012, a visionary institution dedicated to bringing world-class art to the Arlington Heights community of Los Angeles, free of charge. Highlights include a recreation of the museum with works ‘inspired’ by Jeff Koons, Duchamp and Dan Flavin.

This is the show of the season and it shouldn’t be missed. It’s on view until 11th May 2025.

Image: Noah Davis, 1975 (8), 2013. © The Estate of Noah Davis. Courtesy The Estate of Noah Davis and David Zwirner. Photo: Kerry McFate, (Image credit: The estate of Noah Davis).