Wexner Center Hosts 'Hew Locke: Passages' Exhibition

Retrospective showcases over 30 years of the Guyanese-British artist's multilayered sculptures and assemblages.

Feb. 1, 2026 at 8:31pm

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The Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University will host the exhibition 'Hew Locke: Passages' from February 14 to May 24, 2026. The exhibition features over 40 works spanning Locke's career, including sculptures, drawings, and photography that examine how cultures shape identity through visual symbols of authority.

Why it matters

Locke's work combines objects from different periods and influences to explore the complexities of history and the meanings associated with materials and visual symbols of power. The exhibition provides an opportunity for visitors to examine, question, and reimagine the icons of state power they encounter in daily life.

The details

The exhibition includes Locke's multilayered sculptures and assemblages made from traditional art materials and collections of objects such as beads, sequins, toys, coins, and souvenirs. These works combine influences from the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia, drawing from Locke's own upbringing and appreciation of the Baroque. Visitors will experience Locke's ornamental language, which includes symbols of nation, empire, and the global movement of wealth, peoples, and cultures.

  • The exhibition will open on February 14, 2026 at the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio.
  • The exhibition will remain on view through May 24, 2026.

The players

Hew Locke

A Guyanese-British artist whose work examines how cultures shape identity through visual symbols of authority. He has been elected a member of the Royal Academy of Arts and received the Order of the British Empire for services to art in 2023.

Martina Droth

The curator of Locke's exhibition at the Yale Center for British Art, where she serves as the Paul Mellon Director.

Wexner Center for the Arts

The art museum located at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, which is hosting the 'Hew Locke: Passages' exhibition.

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The takeaway

The 'Hew Locke: Passages' exhibition at the Wexner Center provides an opportunity for visitors to examine the complex histories and meanings behind the visual symbols of power that shape our identities and experiences, inviting them to question and reimagine these icons of authority.