Painter Julie Curtiss is preparing to unveil her latest body of work, a collection that captures the frenetic pulse and evolving identity of New York City. The artist, known for her synthesis of Pop and Surrealist sensibilities, returns to the city’s gallery scene with a new solo exhibition titled “Unreal.” Opening November 10, 2026, the show marks her first solo presentation with Gagosian in New York.
The exhibition serves as a departure from her previous, more singular focus, offering a nuanced look at the experience of long-term urban life. While Curtiss has established a reputation for her depictions of hair, fur, and the human form, her new work shifts toward the complex, often contradictory atmosphere of the city. She describes the collection as a “magical realist” interpretation of her immediate surroundings, where the mundane details of daily life—bodegas, laundromats, and storefronts—are imbued with a sense of underlying intensity.
The Evolution of a Metropolitan Perspective
Curtiss, who has lived in New York for 16 years, noted that the concept for “Unreal” grew out of the tension between the city’s initial energy and the realities of aging within it. “We get here in our twenties and thirties, full of energy and ambition,” Curtiss said. “Then, as time goes on, the city wears you out. You make all those attempts at renewal, and it becomes about maintenance, about just trying to keep up with that crazy pace.”
This perspective contrasts with her previous solo exhibition, “Maid in Feathers,” which opened at White Cube in Seoul in November 2025. That series focused on the visceral and surreal realities of early motherhood, utilizing a cohesive, gothic-inspired aesthetic. In contrast, the new York works represent a broader, more eclectic approach to composition and theme. She has traded empty backgrounds for complex, layered spaces that capture the constant movement of the city.
The paintings often feature animals or figures that act as proxies for human emotion. In the work Grand Street (2026), for instance, the aquatic life in a Chinatown storefront display stares out with an intensity that mirrors the human experience of the city. “Everything [in the show] is imbued with so much projection,” Curtiss explained. “The animals carry so much human projection. They become stand-ins for human emotion, or for humanity.”
Contrasts of Luxury and Decay
A recurring theme in the upcoming show is the performative nature of urban living. In the painting Makeover (2026), two figures are depicted in high-fashion attire, their faces obscured by medical bandages, suggesting the high-maintenance nature of maintaining a public façade. This imagery draws from the artist’s own observations of social media trends and the endless cycle of self-improvement.
Her technical approach has also evolved. While her earlier work was defined by precise, controlled patterns, the new paintings incorporate more fluid elements, such as smoke and light reflections. This shift toward a more intuitive process reflects her desire to capture the “only in New York” energy—a mix of high and low, luxury and decay. By moving away from the “boom, boom, boom” of single-object focus, she is attempting to engage with the broader, more sophisticated rhythms of her environment.
As the November opening approaches, the artist remains focused on the dialogue the work will spark. Having not held a solo exhibition in New York since her 2022 show at Anton Kern Gallery, Curtiss views the upcoming show as a way to reconnect with an audience she describes as uniquely driven and serious about art.
Gagosian is pleased to present "UNREAL," an exhibition of new paintings by Julie Curtiss, opening on November 10 at Gagosian, 541 West 24th Street, New York. This is the gallery’s first presentation of Curtiss’s work in the city: https://t.co/aCS80L8BEO pic.twitter.com/EbxQhhgkn4
