Earlier this week, conceptual artist Rashid Johnson opened his newest exhibition, Anima at Hauser & Wirth in Paris. Occurring simultaneously with Art Basel in the city, the exhibition consists of past works as well as the gallery debut of two new paintings and two sculptures, along with his latest short film Sanguine.

Playing with themes of connection and the relationships that are held within different items, Anima explores the idea of the intimacy that lies behind the power of self reflection. The New York-based artist resonates heavily with the ideas behind animism, and the belief that all things, including inanimate objects, have a soul. 

This mindset plays a big part in Johnson’s artistic process, each layer of his art holding meaning as they build upon each other to make up the finished work. For his paintings, even the grid that is drawn on his canvases in the beginning holds value, as it is the base of the whole piece. 

As he does his best to illustrate the soul, and connect the space beyond the physical reality, all of his materials hold a greater meaning. To Johnson, color and painting have an anima. Colors are often used to showcase a deeper meaning, with red signifying a higher power in his God series. The exhibition as a whole explores the feeling of looking away from the surface level, and instead taking a look into the spiritual element that objects hold.

Sanguine, the 35mm short film, explores Johnson’s current reality and the generational relationship that exists between Johnson, his father, and his son. Kinship and familial connection is most visually portrayed in this piece as the viewer watches the intense bond between the two men and young boy. The connections that we have to those closest to us help us navigate through the different phases in our life, and yet no two days are truly the same. Johnson examines this particular period of his life as he is lucky enough to be living in the same reality as both his son and his father, knowing that inevitably this will not always be the case. 

Johnson’s vulnerability and ability to share his spiritual journey, allow the pieces to transcend the physical ground. The attention to detail is relevant in the pieces he creates, as the artist tries to create a greater soul within his works. In recent years, Johnson has been exploring more sculpture, and this exhibit features two new large-scale bronze works. The sculptures feel like a physical version of his Soul paintings, all of the works inextricably linked by Johnson’s style, and his sensibility.

An important part of the exhibition was also sustainability: pieces from the exhibit were shipped by the sea, versus air, from Johnson’s studio in New York, which allowed a carbon saving of 35.66 tCO2e. In flight terms, this would have amounted to 22 return flights between New York and Paris. 

‘Anima’ is on view at Hauser & Wirth in Paris, now through December 21.