New exhibits at Rose Art Museum delve into photorealism, notions of refuge
“Photorealism in Focus” and “Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary” to debut Feb. 11
January 28, 2026
Two new winter exhibits at the Rose Art Museum explore the relationship between painting and photography, and the human and political aspects of refuge.
“Photorealism in Focus” and “Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary” are the newest exhibits on display at the museum, founded at Brandeis University in 1961 and developed into one of the nation's premier university art museums, renowned for its forward-thinking curatorial vision and commitment to contemporary art. Both exhibits are curated by Gannit Akori, the Henry and Lois Foster Director and Chief Curator of the Rose Art Museum and Professor of Fine Arts and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. An opening celebration, free and open to the public, for the new shows will be held at 6 p.m. Feb. 11 at the museum.
“Photorealism in Focus”
“Photorealism in Focus” brings together a dynamic selection of works by pioneering Photorealist artists – Richard Estes, Charles S. Bell, Audrey Flack, and Ralph Goings – alongside contemporary figures. Emerging in the late 1960s, Photorealism redefined the relationship between painting and photography, embracing technical precision to create images that blur the boundary between illusion and reality. The exhibition highlights the movement’s continued relevance and evolution, showcasing a range of subjects from urban landscapes to psychologically charged portraits.
Organized thematically around distinctive genres, “Photorealism in Focus” explores how artists have used meticulous detail and observational rigor to transform the everyday into compelling visual narratives. Through diverse approaches and media, the featured works, including highlights from the museum’s holdings, examine perception, memory, and the constructed nature of realism in contemporary visual culture.
“Photorealism in Focus” is supported by Louis K. and Susan P. Meisel. The exhibit is on view Feb. 11–May 31, 2026.
“Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary”
“Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary” presents the U.S. debut of “Sanctuary City” (2024), a major installation by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare. The installation comprises 18 scaled-down replicas of historical and contemporary buildings that have served as sites of refuge for persecuted and vulnerable individuals across centuries. Displayed in a darkened gallery, each black-painted structure glows from within, its interior illuminated and lined with Shonibare’s signature Dutch wax textiles, transforming the space into a constellation of safe havens that appear as beacons of light and hope.
Drawing on his interdisciplinary practice and longstanding engagement with colonial histories, migration, and cultural hybridity, Shonibare frames shelter as both a universal human need and a deeply political condition. Tracing the concept of sanctuary from ancient temples to modern safe houses, “Sanctuary City” reflects on the fragility of protection in a time of global displacement, rising nationalism, and humanitarian crisis. The artist notes, shelter is “one of the most pressing political concerns right now,” prompting viewers to consider who is granted safety, who is excluded, and what responsibility societies bear in offering refuge today.
“Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary” is made possible with support from the Further Forward Foundation, the Sherman H. Starr Family Foundation, Tia Collection, James Cohan Gallery, New York, and Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, Cape Town, London, and New York. The exhibit is on view Feb. 11–Jan. 3, 2027.
