This fall, Pigment International reprises its partnership with September Gray Fine Art to bring Decadence Deux—the second iteration of Decadence of Another Kind—to Bridgeport Art Center. On view September 19 through November 6, with an opening reception Friday, September 19 from 7–10 p.m., the exhibition gathers an intergenerational and international roster of artists whose practices explore memory, migration, family, and resilience through the language of materiality, abstraction and figuration.

Mounted by September Gray Fine Art and presented in partnership with Pigment International, Decadence Deux reframes the idea of decadence—not as excess, but as a richness of lived experience. The exhibition foregrounds artists including Kevin Cole, Kevin Okeith, Marrayam Moma, Lionel Lofton, Jamele Wright Sr., Preston Sampson, Antonio Carreno, Frank Schroder, Gabrielle Torres, and Eleanor Neal. Together, they offer nuanced meditations on heritage and identity, reflecting shared human experiences that transcend geography—from the American South to the Dominican Republic and France.

Curator September Gray describes abstraction as a liberating force: a mode of storytelling that unfolds over time, much like life itself. In this exhibition, abstraction becomes both method and metaphor—layered, expansive, and resistant to singular interpretation. Works by Eleanor Neal and Shirley Woodson further anchor the presentation with powerful reflections on community resilience, illuminating beauty that emerges even in isolation.

Decadence Deux invites Chicago audiences to consider how personal and collective histories shape the present and inform the future. Rich in materiality, symbolism, and emotional depth, the exhibition promises a compelling visual dialogue about endurance, transformation, and the many forms that decadence can take.

Image: Frank Schroeder ” Quiet and Anxious” 44 X 31 1/2. Acrylic on Canvas