British Caribbean artist and designer Samuel Ross creates works in a range of media through an exploratory analysis of raw material and functionality. In 2015, Ross founded the fashion label A-COLD-WALL*, rethinking streetwear through meticulous construction and bold, Brutalist silhouettes. In 2019, he established SR_A SR_A, an atelier that engineers experiences for the body and mind, balancing a utilitarian sensibility with an eye toward the future. The artist’s industrial aesthetic has manifested both in his own work and in collaborations with major brands including LVMH, Nike, and Apple.

In HEAVE, Ross presents several distinct but connected bodies of work, anchored by two of his rarely shown abstract paintings. Sculptural seating exemplifies the artist’s insatiable curiosity for the potential and limits of material, exploring the intersections of Eurocentric Modernist forms and West African furniture design. Four hand-painted utility jackets showcase the overlapping of Ross’ intuitive mark-making and functional forms, while gestural process sketches representing each of the disciplines presented in the exhibition offer viewers further insight into his multifaceted creative process.