We are delighted to present the first two parts of Wardell Milan’s printmaking project 'The Balcony.' Milan first initiated 'The Balcony' in 2019. It alludes to the relationship between performer and spectator in a theatre setting, inspired by a play of the same title by Jean Genet from 1956. Genet’s play is set inside a brothel while a revolution takes place on the streets outside. In Milan’s work, human bodies become the stages on which questions of gender, race, sexuality and power are being negotiated.

The 2019 part of 'The Balcony' marked Milan’s first foray into printmaking. In 2022, he extended the portfolio through a second suite subtitled 'The World is Made of Eggs.' Though made at different times, both suites are strongly informed by the circumstances in which they came into being and the way Milan engages with the visual culture surrounding him.

‘When I’m working, I become extremely conscious about that imagery and how images of war or images of beauty cannot only change or affect my mood but also how it can inform someone as relates to what they want to aspire to, and how they want to retreat or engage with the world.’—Wardell Milan

Milan has used images from the news or magazines as reference points for the compositions, which are executed on copper plates. The result is a portfolio of prints that have evolved between 2019 and 2022, employing a range of time-honoured printmaking techniques which are executed in a range of grey tones, pattern and line work to create decidedly contemporary, politically charged visual narratives.