Jem Perucchini Debuts Solo Show at David Zwirner
The Milan-raised painter presents his first New York solo exhibition at the gallery's TriBeCa location.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Fine Art
Painter Jem Perucchini, 31, opened his first solo exhibition in New York at David Zwirner's TriBeCa location. The show explores the idea of solitude.
Why it matters
The exhibition marks a major New York showing for an artist whose work draws on Italian Renaissance painting and Ethiopian Catholic church iconography. It places his figurative work before a New York audience for the first time in a solo setting.
The artist, 31, was born in Ethiopia, lived there until age 4, and grew up in Milan before enrolling at the Brera Academy in 2016. Details on the number of works shown and their prices were not provided.
The players
Jem Perucchini
A 31-year-old painter born in Ethiopia and raised in Milan, known for figurative works inspired by Renaissance and Ethiopian church art.
David Zwirner
A prominent New York contemporary art gallery that hosts the exhibition at its TriBeCa location.
The details
Perucchini's paintings depict figures in earthbound settings with an exalted appearance, drawing on Renaissance art and Ethiopian church imagery. His past shows have been informed by Greek myths, twilight, and chess, and he joined London's Corvi-Mora gallery in 2021 just before graduating from art school.
Timeline
2016: Perucchini enrolls at the Brera Academy and begins researching art in Ethiopian Catholic churches.
2021: He joins the Corvi-Mora gallery roster in London just before graduating.
This week: His first solo New York exhibition opens at David Zwirner's TriBeCa location.
Big Picture
Perucchini's work synthesizes Ethiopian Catholic church iconography with Italian Renaissance painting, placing a regional religious art tradition in dialogue with contemporary New York gallery practice. The show extends that cross-cultural lineage into one of the city's leading commercial spaces.
New Yorkers can see the exhibition at David Zwirner's TriBeCa location during its run. Visitors planning a trip should check the gallery directly for hours and admission details, which were not included in the source material.
The takeaway
Perucchini's show offers a clear example of how regional religious painting traditions can be reinterpreted within contemporary art. Readers interested in the tradition can trace its Renaissance and Ethiopian roots directly through the artist's work.
Further reading
Explore more Fine Art coverage from New York City.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The New York Times.
