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Nina Chanel Abney Temporary Friends For Sale
Nina Chanel Abney
Temporary Friends, 2019
Set of five relief prints
39 1/4 x 29 1/2 in each99.7 x 74.9 cm each
Edition
Edition of 35
About this work
This set of five relief prints showcases Abney's signature visual language of bold, graphic forms and vibrant color blocking. Each composition features her characteristic flattened figures and symbolic elements rendered in striking combinations of hot pinks, electric blues, and saturated yellows against contrasting backgrounds. The relief printing technique lends each work a distinctive tactile quality, with raised surfaces that create dynamic shadows and emphasize the geometric precision of her design. Abstract shapes intersect with recognizable motifs, creating layered narratives that invite multiple interpretations about contemporary identity and social interaction. Abney has established herself as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary art, with works held in major museum collections including MoMA and the Guggenheim. This complete set represents an exceptional opportunity to acquire a substantial body of work from a pivotal moment in her career. The five-part format offers remarkable versatility for display while maintaining the integrity of a unified artistic statement. Available for purchase — enquire for price and availability.
Price on Application
Auction History
Temporary Friends · Nina Chanel Abney · Christie's · 2023-10 · $0
Temporary Friends · Nina Chanel Abney · Christie's · 2023-03 · $0
Temporary Friends · Nina Chanel Abney · Christie's · 2022-07 · $0
More series by Nina Chanel Abney
About the Temporary Friends Series
Temporary Friends is a suite of five relief prints with collage by Nina Chanel Abney, published in 2019 by Pace Editions Inc., New York, in an edition of 35 plus artist's proofs. Each sheet measures approximately 39 1/4 x 29 1/2 inches and is printed on Hahnemühle Aurora paper; complete sets have historically been presented together in a blue portfolio case.
The suite pairs Abney's relief-printing practice with hand-applied collage elements, layering cut and adhered paper directly into the printed image. This combination extends into an editioned format the cut-and-paste visual logic that runs through much of Abney's painted work, where fragments of figure, text, and pattern are assembled into dense, interlocking compositions.
Abney, born in Harvey, Illinois in 1982, studied at Augustana College before earning her MFA at Parsons School of Design in New York, where she lives and works today. Her practice explores race, gender, and American politics through a visual language of flattened colour and fractured form, and her work has been acquired by institutions including the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, the Rubell Museum, and the Studio Museum in Harlem.
Issued as a suite of five related images rather than a single sheet, Temporary Friends asks to be considered as a sequence — each print a variation within a shared visual and thematic framework, exploring connection and impermanence through Abney's distinctive geometric idiom. Guy Hepner represents Abney's print editions produced in collaboration with Pace.
About Nina Chanel Abney
Nina Chanel Abney's market trajectory has been nothing short of meteoric, positioning her as one of the most compelling and sought-after contemporary artists on the global stage. Her vibrant, politically charged works command significant attention at auction, attracting a fervent international collector base eager to acquire pieces that speak directly to the zeitgeist.