ARTSY

Alexandria Tarver
B. 1989, Houston. Lives and works in New York.

Alexandria Tarver began painting flowers in 2013, when her father received a terminal cancer diagnosis. Her compositions became a ritual to contend with her grief. Her compositions became a ritual to contend with grief. Tarver’s expressive, ethereal blooms often float against a dark void, allowing their soft coral tones to glow with a heightened intensity.

A selection of Tarver’s latest flower paintings are currently on view at Nino Mier Gallery in New York as part of her solo show, “Dedicated to the low in heart,” her first with the gallery. Though the artist once based her paintings on store-bought blooms, she now looks to flowers that spring from the concrete in different cities, which she denotes in her titles. These works position the flowers as markers of resilience and growth. nights, 98/Mexico City (2026), for instance, features a cluster of ocher flowers and looping reddish stems floating against a dark, velvety background. Tarver isolates the bouquet, appreciating their endurance in the inhospitable city.

Tarver completed her BFA at New York University in 2011 and remains based in New York. The artist has presented solo shows at Cooler Gallery and at Deli Gallery, which represented her until its closing in 2024. Mier announced their representation of the artist last month.

–Maxwell Rabb