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Derriann Pharr’s works on paper appear in ‘A sustained becoming: Studio Museum Artists in Residence 2026’ at the Studio Museum in Harlem’s new 82,000-square-foot building. Hyperallergic’s pocket review praises her metamorphosing figures alongside Simonette Quamina and Taylor Simmons.
Artist Derriann Pharr, an artist-in-residence at the Studio Museum in Harlem, is showing works that “metamorphose before our eyes,” drawing from girlhood and womanhood, in the museum’s 2026 residency exhibition, according to a Hyperallergic review published by critic Valentina Di Liscia. The works are on view on the fourth floor of the museum’s new 82,000-square-foot building in Harlem as part of A sustained becoming: Studio Museum Artists in Residence 2026.
Pharr works on paper whose raw, frayed edges, Di Liscia writes, “belie the force of the composition within them.” In Squinching my eyes shut and wishing real hard (Honey’s Dream) (2026), the artist draws the shape of a woman described as “long and animalesque,” surrounded by imagery of scales, fur, flower petals, gossamer wings and morning dewdrops.
A second work, Bring My Bones Home! (2026), presents a bulbous female figure coiling around a tiny creature in what the reviewer characterizes as a gesture of “tender but watchful protection,” with spiky sculptural elements protruding above the figure guardingly.
Pharr’s pieces hang alongside works by fellow residents Simonette Quamina, whose indigo-hued dreamscapes are noted in the review, and Taylor Simmons, known for intimate oil tableaux. The review notes “evident curatorial care to avoid crowding, to let each practice breathe” in the spacious fourth-floor gallery.
What the Review Means for Visitors
The review signals that the Studio Museum’s residency exhibition — held in the institution’s newly opened Harlem building — offers visitors a chance to see emerging Black artists at a formative moment. The positive critical notice of Pharr’s draftsmanship and of the exhibition’s generous installation may draw audiences interested in contemporary works on paper and painting.
The Studio Museum’s Residency Cohort
The Studio Museum in Harlem has long run its artist-in-residence program, which supports emerging artists and culminates in a group exhibition. The 2026 cohort exhibition, A sustained becoming, fills part of the museum’s new 82,000-square-foot building, a major expansion of the institution’s exhibition capacity in Harlem.
Details the Review Does Not Cover
The Hyperallergic piece is a short pocket review and does not specify the exhibition’s closing date, the number of works on view, or whether Pharr has upcoming solo presentations. Critical judgments in the piece — such as the characterization of Pharr’s figures as “animalesque” — reflect the reviewer’s interpretation rather than the artist’s stated intent.
Visiting the Harlem Exhibition
Readers can view A sustained becoming: Studio Museum Artists in Residence 2026 at the Studio Museum in Harlem’s new building. Those wanting details on dates, hours and tickets should check the museum’s official website, as the review does not list run dates.
Key Questions
Who is Derriann Pharr?
An artist-in-residence at the Studio Museum in Harlem whose works on paper draw on themes of girlhood and womanhood, according to Hyperallergic.
What exhibition are Pharr’s works in?
A sustained becoming: Studio Museum Artists in Residence 2026, a group show of the museum’s resident cohort, on the fourth floor of its new 82,000-square-foot Harlem building.
Which other artists appear in the show?
The review highlights Simonette Quamina’s indigo-hued dreamscapes and Taylor Simmons’s intimate oil tableaux alongside Pharr’s works.
What works by Pharr are described?
Squinching my eyes shut and wishing real hard (Honey’s Dream) (2026) and Bring My Bones Home! (2026), both works featuring female figures with animal and protective imagery.
Source: rss
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