Vertical Gallery is very proud to present ‘We From the Heavens,’ a solo showcase for Chicago-born, Los Angeles-based painter and illustrator Troy Lee.

‘We From the Heavens,’ which runs March 7-29, heralds a daring new chapter in Lee’s career and creative evolution, shifting the artist’s emphasis from feminine sexuality to masculine vulnerability. The exhibit’s soul-baring paintings and sketches aggressively interrogate the perceptions and realities confronting Black men in contemporary America — how they’re seen in the media, and how they see themselves in the mirror. 

‘We From the Heavens’ brings Lee back to Chicago five years after he left the city to live and work in southern California. The native South Sider drew incessantly throughout childhood, and at age 15 he signed up for a Little Black Pearl-sponsored after-school art program, studying under the tutelage of painter and muralist Hebru Brantley, a longtime mentor. Lee interned for Brantley while attending the Art Institute of Chicago, eventually dropping out to focus on his professional pursuits; a pair of local solo exhibits preceded his Vertical debut in 2021. He has since participated in multiple group shows at the gallery.

Vertical Gallery launches ‘We From the Heavens’ Friday, March 7, with an opening reception from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. 

Vertical Gallery, 2006 W. Chicago Ave. #1R

Image: Troy Lee