Some of our favorite shows this week allude to communal histories and identities in innovative and beautiful ways. While John Yau looks at Indian-American artist Sangram Majumdar’s exploration of his dual heritage, Alexandra M. Thomas visits a group exhibition that presents the ways that Black women have shaped and advanced the art of ceramics over generations. Alexis Clements takes in another group show that addresses community, this one connecting imagery about the sea with a sapphic sensibility. Meanwhile, at The Met, Julia Curl finds a treasure trove of references for the “art history nerds” among us in Lorna Simpson’s current survey. Whether or not you see yourself in any of these communities, these shows are great starting points to expand your horizons and all are visually and conceptually impressive. —Natalie Haddad, Reviews Editor
Sangram Majumdar: The Sleep of Reason
Nathalie Karg Gallery, 127 Elizabeth Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan
Through October 6
“[Majumdar’s] approach seems to be driven by the desire to hold together the many different aspects of his dual Indian-American identity, along with his recognition that it is difficult to separate the personal from the political.” —John Yau
Lorna Simpson: Source Notes
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan
Through November 30
“The painted screenprints collage together archival images from Ebony and Jet magazines, fusing these touchstones of Black culture with images of Arctic glaciers and, more recently, the rocky forms of meteorites.” —Julia Curl
Body Vessel Clay: Black Women, Ceramics & Contemporary Art
Ford Foundation Gallery, 320 East 43rd Street, Midtown, Manhattan
Through December 6
“Beginning with [Ladi Dosei] Kwali’s pots … the exhibition demonstrates how Black women’s ceramics embody continuity, carrying histories across generations.” —Alexandra M. Thomas
She Sells Seashells
Alice Austen House Museum, 2 Hylan Boulevard, Shore Acres, Staten Island
Through February 21, 2026
“Many of the works in the show, curated by Gemma Rolls-Bentley, focus on the figurative, evoking the freedom of the body by the sea — scarcely clothed, outside the built environment, at ease.” —Alexis Clements
