Delphine Desane's Vibrant Portraits of Black Womanhood at Luce Gallery, Turin

Luce Gallery in Turin presents a solo exhibition of Delphine Desane (Paris, 1988), a French-Haitian artist based in New York. The show features vibrant, large-scale portraits of women in hieratic poses, set against defined color fields that create dreamlike spaces. Desane's work draws on her background in fashion—she worked in the industry for a decade—and explores themes of Black femininity, motherhood, and cultural heritage. Her paintings recently appeared on the cover of Vogue Italia's January issue, curated by director Emanuele Farneti, where artists replaced photography with painted fashion spreads. Desane also created covers for the upcoming double album by Femi Kuti and Made Kuti, depicting the son and grandson of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. The exhibition highlights her meticulous attention to detail, from Afro-textured hair to beaded garments, blending formal structure with deep cultural research.