Shaqúelle Whyte’s work, which is on view both at Pippy Houldsworth’s Frieze booth and Mayfair gallery, gives off ambiguity. The Wolverhampton-born artist studied at Slade and Royal College of Art and is quietly emerging as one of the best painters of his generation, whose work has been bought by the Arts Council and Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum. Although wrestling male figures are a recurring motif, ‘In Jesus’ name we pray’ (2025) shows new directions. The group figurative work reflecting the artist’s Jamaican heritage, in particular the funerary tradition of Nine Nights, echoes West African cultural rituals. The dark and lush landscape is filled with a mourning family together in peace. An evocative moment of all life revealed to us all.
