Lauren Halsey blends Afrofuturism, funk, and local iconography to explore Black empowerment, queerness, and resistance to gentrification. In her emajendat exhibition at London’s Serpentine South Gallery, Halsey’s work celebrates community vitality while confronting systemic inequities.
Over the past decade, Halsey has developed a unique artistic language rooted in her generational ties to South Central. Through site-specific installations and mixed-media sculptures, she reimagines her surroundings, blending hip-hop imagery, everyday debris, and ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Her work layers these elements, echoing the visual and aural depth of funk music, which she sees as a philosophy of freedom, identity, and boundless possibility.
emajendat at the Serpentine South Gallery, Halsey’s first UK solo show, exemplifies this ethos. Transforming the gallery into an immersive “funk garden,” Halsey has integrated prismatic glass floors, walls made of CDs, scaled-up figurines, dunes, and a live water fountain.
Central to her practice is the idea of transforming gallery exhibitions into prototypes for permanent public spaces in South Central LA—a testament to her commitment to reinvesting in her community.
This installation extends Kensington Gardens into the gallery space, creating a sanctuary for reflection and celebration. The show also features her first moving image work, further expanding her repertoire.
Halsey’s art is both a celebration of Black culture and an act of resistance. Her intricate, maximalist pieces often critique gentrification and systemic neglect, which threaten South Central’s identity. Her installations memorialize the community’s history and struggles, including the faces of women harmed by the Grim Sleeper, a serial killer who terrorized South Central for decades, displayed on mirrored palms.
By including these women in her work, Halsey not only honors their lives but also critiques the structural flaws that allowed their stories to be overlooked. She envisions creating a permanent memorial of mirrored palm trees to preserve their memory.
Lauren Halsey has held solo exhibitions at esteemed institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Serpentine, and the Seattle Art Museum. Her monumental works have captivated audiences at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Venice Biennale, while her pieces reside in prestigious collections like the Whitney Museum and the Museum of Modern Art.
Halsey’s art preserves the essence of South Central LA while redefining what art can achieve and who it serves. A powerful voice in contemporary art, she merges cultural critique and civic engagement to inspire resistance, celebration, and hope—reflecting and transforming her community.
