Draw Them In, Paint Them Out:
Trenton Doyle Hancock Confronts Philip Guston

Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA
October 16, 2025–March 1, 2026

Photography by Sarah Golonka

Draw Them In, Paint Them Out presents the work of painter Philip Guston
(1913–1980) and Trenton Doyle Hancock (American, b. 1974), a leading Black contemporary artist based in Houston, Texas. The exhibition explores resonant connections between their work and the role that artists play in the pursuit of social justice. Featuring key works by Guston including his now iconic Ku Klux Klan paintings in dialogue with major works Hancock created in response to his inspirational mentor, the exhibition highlights their parallel thematic explorations of the nature of evil, self-representation, otherness, and art activism.

Originally installed in New York, the design challenge was to honor pre-existing design concepts and templates in an entirely new space, as well as maintain as much of the existing gallery architecture. Archways were cut into existing walls to create strong sight lines for artwork, encouraging a visitors to walk more freely in the space. New construction included a conical room with a three-point projection and a plywood “shed” for exhibiting artworks.