Jeffrey Gibson Sues Former Gallery Kavi Gupta Over $600,000 in Unpaid Sales

Jeffrey Gibson, who will become the first Native American artist to represent the United States at the 60th Venice Biennale, has filed a lawsuit against his former gallery, Kavi Gupta in Chicago. The legal action, initiated earlier this year in New York, alleges that the gallery withheld over USD$600,000 from Gibson for sold artworks. According to the complaint, Kavi Gupta failed to promptly remit the artist's full share of sales proceeds and did not engage in good-faith negotiations for a payment plan, forcing Gibson to seek legal recourse for the owed amounts plus additional compensation. Kavi Gupta has denied these allegations and disputes the agreement terms referenced in the lawsuit. Gibson's artistic practice, which incorporates painting, craft, and collage to explore contemporary Native American culture, was described in ArtReview last year by Chris Fite-Wassilak as having an immediate, vibrant quality that addresses complex historical layers while playfully reshaping understandings of indigeneity. The lawsuit highlights financial disputes between artists and galleries, occurring as Gibson prepares for his historic representation at the Venice Biennale.