THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART (MoMA) commissioned an exclusive jigsaw puzzle by New York artist Nina Chanel Abney. The 1,000-piece puzzle is inspired by “Girl before a Mirror,” Pablo Picasso’s 1932 painting from MoMA’s collection.
Abney’s fresh interpretation of the Picasso work shows the reflection of a figure gazing into a mirror. The puzzle’s layered image features a bold yellow background punctuated with a grid of purple dots.
Known for her graphic images and vibrant color palettes, Abney blends abstraction and figuration, employing a shorthand language of shapes and symbols that explores the complexities of contemporary culture from race, politics, and gender norms to celebrity and art history.
Two recent solo exhibitions showcase the artist’s work. “Nina Chanel Abney: Big Butch Synergy” was on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland and the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami. “Nina Chanel Abney: Fishing Was His Life” was organized by the Gordon Parks Foundation in Pleasantville, N.Y., and traveled to Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Abney is also represented in MoMA’s collection. The New York museum acquired “She Was a Real Trouper – Acts of Service” (2020) the same year it was made. The painting is currently on view in the fourth floor collection galleries.
The new puzzle is the latest product category Abney has ventured into after special projects including skate decks, shoes, phone cases, porcelain plates, and a Meek Mill album cover. She has expanded her brand and shared her work with audiences beyond the art world by painting public murals and basketball courts and collaborating with Nike, Peanuts, Mattel, and Timberland, among others.
In addition to Abney’s puzzle, the MoMA store offers a puzzle featuring an untitled, circa 1968 work on paper by Alma Thomas that is in the museum’s collection. CT
FIND MORE about Nina Chanel Abney on her website and Instagram
BOOKSHELF
Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington in Seattle published a digital catalog to accompany “Nina Chanel Abney: Fishing Was His Life,” which was recently on view at the Seattle museum. “Nina Chanel Abney: Royal Flush” accompanied the artist’s first solo museum exhibition, which was organized by Marshall Price. The fully illustrated catalog includes a preface by Richard J. Powell, critical essays by Price and Natalie Y. Moore, and an interview with Nina Chanel Abney conducted by Jamillah James.
