Ilana Savdie's Carnivalesque Paintings Take Over White Cube Booth at Frieze London 2026
During Frieze London 2026, from October 14 to 18, White Cube will showcase a solo exhibition (D21) featuring new works by Ilana Savdie (b. 1986) at The Regent's Park. Originally from Barranquilla, Colombia, and now residing in Brooklyn, Savdie's vibrant paintings delve into themes of performance, identity, and excess. Drawing inspiration from the Carnaval of Barranquilla, her art is characterized by bold colors and dynamic compositions. Her creative process involves drawing, digital collage, and painting, leading to shifting visual hierarchies. Savdie earned her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2008 and her MFA from Yale University in 2018. Her notable exhibitions include 'Radical Contractions' at the Whitney Museum in 2023, with future shows at the Jewish Museum in 2024 and the NGV Triennial from 2023 to 2024.
Key facts
- White Cube presents a solo booth of new paintings and works on paper by Ilana Savdie at Frieze London 2026.
- The booth is located at Booth D21, Frieze London, The Regent's Park, from 14–18 October 2026.
- Savdie is based in Brooklyn and raised in Barranquilla, Colombia.
- Her paintings use acrylic, oil, and beeswax to explore performance, excess, resistance, and transgression.
- The presentation places her work within a multigenerational art-historical lineage concerned with the body.
- Savdie's imagery draws on Barranquilla's Carnaval, including figures like the 'Marimonda'.
- She references artists such as Helen Frankenthaler and Francis Bacon, as well as Baroque painting and horror/science fiction.
- Savdie received her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design (2008) and MFA from Yale University (2018).
- In 2023, she had a solo exhibition 'Radical Contractions' at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
- In 2022, she became an inaugural Artist-in-Residence at Horizon Art Foundation, Los Angeles.
Entities
Artists
- Ilana Savdie
- Helen Frankenthaler
- Francis Bacon
Institutions
- White Cube
- Frieze London
- Rhode Island School of Design
- Yale University
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- Jewish Museum
- NGV Triennial
- Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego
- Kunstraum Potsdam
- Museum aan de Stroom
- B3 Biennial
- Horizon Art Foundation
Locations
- Brooklyn
- New York
- Barranquilla
- Colombia
- London
- United Kingdom
- The Regent's Park
- Providence
- New Haven
- Connecticut
- Melbourne
- Australia
- San Diego
- California
- Potsdam
- Germany
- Antwerp
- Belgium
- Frankfurt
- Los Angeles