Vertical Gallery, Chicago’s premier urban-contemporary art gallery, is very proud to present ‘RE:TURN,’ a solo exhibit featuring new work by stencil and street artist Martin Whatson.

‘RE:TURN,’ which runs Nov. 30-Dec. 5 at SCOPE Miami Beach, booth F013, assembles close to three dozen original pieces, including 12 works on paper, 20 canvases and two sculptures, all further refining and evolving Whatson’s vibrant, deeply expressive synthesis of graffiti, stencil art and urban decay.

Norwegian-born Whatson is best known for a signature style juxtaposing colorful calligraphic scrawls against monochrome voids. His images both recreate and transform urban landscapes, exploring the frisson between explosive, abstract graffiti art and muted, often poignant stencils of animals, ballerinas and historical figures.

Whatson first attracted attention in connection with the Oslo graffiti scene of the 1990s, drawing inspiration from the city’s balance of classical and modernist architecture. By the dawn of the 21^st century, his work added layers of hand-cut stencils — subtle yet striking images that Whatson embellishes with bold, spray-painted strokes in a range of colors and textures. His work is now found on walls and in private collections across the globe: in addition, Whatson has headlined solo exhibitions in London, Paris, Tokyo and Los Angeles. 

Known for presenting a wide assortment of groundbreaking contemporary work, SCOPE Miami Beach returns to the sands of Ocean Drive and 8th Street for its 2021 installment. SCOPE Miami Beach welcomes 140 international exhibitors at its beachfront pavilion, with a focus on the New Contemporary art movement.

There is no collector preview for ‘RE:TURN.’ All sales will take place at SCOPE Miami Beach 2021. Visit www.scope-art.com for tickets.

Martin Whatson
‘RE:TURN’
November 30 – December 5, 2021
Vertical Gallery booth F013
SCOPE Miami Beach