For the 2024 edition of Untitled Art Miami Beach, Fridman Gallery is pleased to present a selection of works by Debra Cartwright, Laurena Finéus, Azuki Furuya, Madjeen Isaac, Fidelis Joseph, Will Maxen, and Sahana Ramakrishnan.
Laurena Finéus (b. Ottawa, Canada; lives and works in Brooklyn, NY) is a Haitian-Canadian artist exploring Black migrant experiences and "zones of refuge" through painting and interdisciplinary work. Drawing on Maroon histories and Glissant’s Rhizomatic theory, her practice reclaims Haitian migrant imagination while envisioning futures of self-determination and resilience. She holds an MFA from Columbia University (2024) and a BFA from the University of Ottawa (2020). Her work is in the collections of Google, Canada Council Art Bank, and the City of Ottawa, and she has received numerous awards, including the Helen Frankenthaler Fund (2023).
Azuki Furuya (b. Sapporo, Japan; lives and works in Tokyo) creates ingenious works on paper that explore life’s brightness and fragility, with her material process serving as storytelling. She layers and sands colored paper to mimic weathered surfaces, then transforms discarded shavings into sculptural objects, embedding photographs to evoke memory and impermanence. Her work completes a cycle from photographic subject to processed memento mori. Furuya holds an MFA from Brooklyn College (2019).
Madjeen Isaac is a first-generation Haitian-American artist exploring home, community, and belonging. Her hybridized landscapes celebrate joyful, liberated Black and Caribbean existences, challenging liminal spaces and inspiring visions of autonomy and boundless realities. Isaac holds a BFA from the Fashion Institute of Technology and an MA from NYU. Her work has been exhibited at Smack Mellon, the Brooklyn Museum, and other notable venues. She has participated in prominent residencies, collaborated with KITH for Black History Month (2023), and received awards including the 2024 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship.
Fidelis Joseph (b. 1989, Adamawa, Nigeria; lives and works in New Haven, Connecticut) creates abstract paintings that reflect his personal history and emotional landscapes shaped by loss, familial pride, and the experiences of separation. A former studio fellow at NXTHVN, Joseph earned an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art (2023) and a BFA from Zaria Art School, Nigeria (2017), where he was named Artist of the Year.
Will Maxen (b. Waterbury, CT; lives and works in Houston, TX) creates paintings that blend personal and historical imagery into fictional, abstract scenes. His work explores memory, intimacy, environment, and belonging, navigating both literal and metaphorical spaces. Maxen holds a BA in Illustration from Central Connecticut State University and an MFA in Art Studio from the University of California, Davis.
Sahana Ramakrishnan (b. 1993, Mumbai, India; lives and works in Jersey City, USA) blends South Asian tantric traditions with Western painting techniques, creating layered works that incorporate gold leaf and rhinestones. Drawing from global mythologies, a key concept in Ramakrishnan’s work is the exploration of the illusion of separation between the self and the other, and between life and death. Ramakrishnan holds a BFA from RISD, and her work is in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum and ICA Miami.
