Portrait of Julie Mehretu with a black top in semi-profile

Internationally acclaimed artist Julie Mehretu appears Feb. 21, 2024 at 7 p.m. to discuss the sociopolitical inspiration behind her work with cultural interlocutor Paul Holdengräber.

Julie Mehretu is a world-renowned painter who lives and works in New York City. Her art is featured in the Smithsonian, LACMA, MOMA, The Broad, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Guggenheim, the Met, the Tate, the Whitney, and many other leading museums. She is Sotheby’s Top-selling African Artist of all Time (2023), and Time magazine named her to its 100 Most Influential People in 2020. Mehretu’s paintings, drawings, and prints depict the cumulative effects of urban sociopolitical changes.

Originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, her work has been exhibited extensively and is represented in collections worldwide. She is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship (2005) and the U.S. Department of State Medal of Arts (2015). Mehretu is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and National Academy of Design. Her artwork also will be on display at the 24 Hours of  Le Mans race in June 2024, as a BMW curated artist for its M Hybrid V8. Mehretu earned her master of fine arts from the Rhode Island School of Design.

Marian Goodman Gallery is Mehretu’s global representative.

Location: Occidental College
Time: 7 p.m.