Deborah Roberts— I'm

The Contemporary Austin

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Installation view, Deborah Roberts: I’m, The Contemporary Austin – Jones Center on Congress Avenue, 2021. Artwork © Deborah Roberts. Courtesy the artist; Stephen Friedman Gallery, London; and Vielmetter Los Angeles. Image courtesy The Contemporary Austin. This exhibition was curated by Heather Pesanti, Chief Curator & Director of Curatorial Affairs. Photograph by Colin Doyle.

At The Contemporary Austin, Deborah Roberts: I’m presents an arresting look at how identity is constructed and perceived. Through her signature collage portraits, Roberts layers fragments of faces, limbs, and gestures to reveal the tension between innocence and expectation placed upon Black children in America. The works demand that viewers confront their own assumptions, while celebrating resilience, individuality, and the complexity of selfhood. Curated by Heather Pesanti, the exhibition amplifies Roberts’ voice as one of the most vital and compassionate in contemporary portraiture today.

Installation view, Deborah Roberts: I’m, The Contemporary Austin – Jones Center on Congress Avenue, 2021. Artwork © Deborah Roberts. Courtesy the artist; Stephen Friedman Gallery, London; and Vielmetter Los Angeles. Image courtesy The Contemporary Austin. This exhibition was curated by Heather Pesanti, Chief Curator & Director of Curatorial Affairs. Photograph by Colin Doyle.

Installation view, Deborah Roberts: I’m, The Contemporary Austin – Jones Center on Congress Avenue, 2021. Artwork © Deborah Roberts. Courtesy the artist; Stephen Friedman Gallery, London; and Vielmetter Los Angeles. Image courtesy The Contemporary Austin. This exhibition was curated by Heather Pesanti, Chief Curator & Director of Curatorial Affairs. Photograph by Colin Doyle.

Installation view, Deborah Roberts: I’m, The Contemporary Austin – Jones Center on Congress Avenue, 2021. Artwork © Deborah Roberts. Courtesy the artist; Stephen Friedman Gallery, London; and Vielmetter Los Angeles. Image courtesy The Contemporary Austin. This exhibition was curated by Heather Pesanti, Chief Curator & Director of Curatorial Affairs. Photograph by Colin Doyle.