One of the brightest creative minds in Nashville is XPayne, and his latest exhibition — Myth and Melanin, open through Feb. 28 at Elephant Gallery — builds on all his strengths. First, there’s his unique style. XPayne’s instantly recognizable approach to painting involves soft, stylized forms with lots of early-’90s pop-culture influence. But what shows that the artist is progressing beyond his early potential is the conceptual sophistication of this most recent series. Myth and Melanin incorporates mythology, African symbols and the artist’s own personal history into a series that’s sexy and surprising. The exhibition statement hints at some of the work’s inspiration: “The collection reveals a creative avenue of self-empowerment and introspection on life as a creative Black American.” Fans of lowbrow kings like Keith Haring and R. Crumb will find plenty to appreciate here. But the work’s deeper impact extends beyond those obvious comparisons, drawing instead on the visual language of Harlem Renaissance icons like Jacob Lawrence and Aaron Douglas.
Through Feb. 28 at Elephant Gallery
1411 Buchanan St.
