I love going to the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston), usually after a fun trek on the boardwalk in front of the museum. Their docents are graduate students, and unlike any other museum I have visited, they’re well informed and are eager to talk about the art in the gallery to which they are assigned. A fond memory is sitting on the outdoor bleachers in front of the museum during a N.E.W. ( New England Wax) meeting years ago.

During my most recent visit to the ICA, I had the opportunity to view the exhibition: Portraits from the ICA Collection. 

The pieces I viewed transcend traditional historical portraiture, exploring how artists create images of themselves and others to communicate the emotions, politics, and beauty of representation. They also explore a broader and more inclusive range of people and identities. This selection of about thirty works reflects the richness of today’s diverse narratives and reminders of our shared humanity.

Below are a few highlights from my visit: 

The work shown above by Nigerian artist Toyin Ojih Odutola represents a larger fictional story-based narrative centered around two married black Lords and their nephew, who is the heir to their collective wealth. Odutola engages a speculative Black imaginary that has transcended the transatlantic slave trade and resists the erasures of colonialism and Western art history.  

In this self-portrait, Joffe depicts herself embracing her young daughter, Esme. The intimate scene could represent many familiar moments for parents: getting ready in the morning. Joffe emphasizes the closeness of the figures through their identical dress and color palette.

Marlon Forrester from Guyana shared this piece, which is from his series If Black Saints Could Fly 23, and dedicates this painting to George Floyd and Trayvon Martin, whose racially motivated murders ignited global protests against anti-Black violence and injustice. Rather than depicting violence or trauma, he imagines the masculine Black body as a symbol of celebration, commemoration, and transformation, re-imagining traditionally Caucasian saints.  

In this vibrant portrait, Mexican artist Aliza Nisenbaum, depicts her longtime teacher and mentor, Susanna Coffey, former Professor in Painting at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago. Nisenbaum celebrates Coffey as an influential educator and figurative painter who is absorbed in the act of painting. 

This Exhibition will be ending soon, so if you have an opportunity to check it out, I highly recommend it. 

Portraits from the ICA Collection, Kim and Jim Pallotta Gallery, Jan 25 – Dec 28, 2025

Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston

Written by Donna Hamil Talman, a member of New England Wax,

www.donnahamiltalman.com

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