Top 5 Must-See Shows Currently Playing in New York City
Title: Celebrating Individual Brilliance: Outstanding Solo Art Exhibitions in New York City
In an age of collective movements and globalized narratives, there’s still profound power in the singular vision. This week, art and literature lovers in New York City are offered a unique opportunity to experience exhibitions that center on the voice and legacy of remarkable individuals. These shows—spanning painting, photography, design, and literature—highlight creators both heralded and historically unsung. From the haunting imagination of Franz Kafka to the unrecognized mastery of Abraham Lincoln Walker, these exhibitions explore identity, creativity, and the human condition through compelling solo displays.
Here’s a look at some of the most captivating individual-focused exhibitions currently open to the public.
1. Abraham Lincoln Walker: A Quiet Force Revisited
📍 Andrew Edlin Gallery, Lower East Side
🗓 Through April 12
Known for his soulful, evocative paintings, Abraham Lincoln Walker worked as a postal worker in New Orleans for most of his life before gaining posthumous recognition. The exhibition at Andrew Edlin Gallery brings together stunning works like “Blue Man’s Form” (1978), highlighting Walker’s nuanced exploration of Black figures often rendered in dreamlike detail.
“Perhaps Walker invented these people…because he desired the play of recognition between human beings,” writes art critic Seph Rodney, underscoring the emotional honesty within Walker’s work. His paintings speak of connection and longing, captured in bold brushstrokes and human forms abstracted through color.
👉 Full review: What Does It Mean to Really Be Seen?
2. Franz Kafka: A Literary Labyrinth
📍 Morgan Library & Museum, Murray Hill
🗓 Through April 13
The Morgan Library offers a sensorial journey into the enigmatic world of Franz Kafka, the 20th-century author whose name gave rise to the term “Kafkaesque.” Through manuscripts, personal letters, and notebooks, the exhibit reveals his struggles with alienation, bureaucracy, and unfulfilled yearning.
One of the most resonant moments is a postcard Kafka sent to his sister Ottla from Versailles in 1911—fragments of a life filled with internal contradictions. “What could be more Kafkaesque than circling the show, trying to enter his world but never quite managing?” muses reviewer Natalie Haddad. This show provides unprecedented context to the man whose literature continues to haunt readers today.
👉 Full review: The Morgan Museum’s Franz Kafka Show Is Kafkaesque
3. Tatlin: Kyiv – Innovation Amid Historical Flux
📍 Ukrainian Museum, Manhattan
🗓 Through April 27
Volodymyr Tatlin, a pioneer of Constructivism, is honored in this engaging exhibit that centers around his previously underappreciated ties to Kyiv. Featuring works such as his 1927 collage for Oleksandr Dovzhenko’s film “The Diplomatic Pouch,” the show explores how revolutionary ideals in art could have shifted the course of cultural history if not for geopolitical upheaval.
“Tatlin: Kyiv is haunted by what could have been,” writes Lisa Yin Zhang, reminding viewers of the potent connection between past dreams and current realities. This exhibit is as much a reflection on Tatlin’s visionary mind as it is a commentary on the suppression and potential resurgence of avant-garde art.
👉 Full review: Vladimir Tatlin: Ukraine Dreaming
4. Belle da Costa Greene: A Librarian’s Legacy
📍 Morgan Library & Museum, Murray Hill
🗓 Through May 4
Belle da Costa Greene, the trailblazing African American librarian who helped build J.P. Morgan’s rare books and manuscripts collection, is finally receiving her due in this comprehensive yet sensitive exhibition.
Curated with dignity, the exhibit includes photographs, writings, and personal archives, enabling visitors to explore Greene’s complex identity and remarkable impact. “While the exhibition is comprehensive, it simultaneously respects that which we can never know about Greene’s interiority,” notes writer Alexandra M. Thomas. Greene lived much of her life passing as white, a nuance that adds layers to her achievement as a cultural steward.
👉 Full review: Celebrated Librarian Belle da Costa Greene’s Concealed Life
5. Judy Linn: Black & White – Elegance in Everyday Shades
📍 Kerry Schuss Gallery, Tribeca
🗓 Through May 10
Photographer Judy Linn’s gentle and observant eye is on full display in this retrospective that presents her black-and-white photographs taken over five decades. Works such as “happy car” (1995) offer candid glimpses into daily life, framed with a poetic clarity.
Her solo show insists on the richness of subtlety—how quiet moments, when carefully seen, hold as much power as grand gestures. Reviewer John Yau describes Linn’s work as “the tip of an iceberg,” suggesting layered complexities behind each image.
👉 Full article: Judy Linn Casts a Solitary Eye on the World
Conclusion