Ikon presents exhibition first Britain solo show of new work by American abstract painter, Ellen Gallagher. On large-scale canvases Gallagher has produced seemingly delicate and subtle paintings, which upon closer inspection are reveals to be structured by a detailed visual language. This language is inspired by her Black and Irish background – stereotypes such as cartoon style lips and eyes are repeated over and over, alongside structured marks so that the canvases become ordered and grid like. The apparent simplicity of Gallagher’s painting belies its complex power to draw in and captivate the viewer, seducing with the rich golden colours and hypnotic repeated details. Like Callum Innes in Europe, Ellen Gallagher was at the forefront of abstract painting in America in the 1990s. This exhibition offers a chance to see this new work for the first time in the UK.