November 2, 2026
Ouattara Watts
Where: Karma
When: Nov. 5–Dec. 19
Why It’s Worth a Look: For more than four decades, Ouattara Watts has specialized in dense paintings packed with numeral matrices, nodes and arrows, eyes, musical notes, and mathematical symbols. This exhibition continues Watts’s exploration of these recurring forms using an eclectic mixture of materials, from patterned fabric and papier-mâché reliefs, to paint-spattered floor cloths and textiles sourced from around the world.
Know Before You Go: In 1977, Watts arrived in Paris from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, to study art and began using tarpaulin as a support, an early spark of interest in mixed materials. In Paris, he met Jean-Michel Basquiat at an art opening, and it was he who convinced Watts to move to New York in 1988, where he has spent years combining African and Western aesthetics.
