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Hyperallergic’s Valentina Di Liscia reviews Derriann Pharr’s metamorphosing works on paper in ‘A sustained becoming: Studio Museum Artists in Residence 2026’ at the Studio Museum in Harlem. The review praises the cohort show’s spacious installation in the museum’s new 82,000-square-foot building.
Derriann Pharr, an artist-in-residence at the Studio Museum in Harlem, presents drawings of shapeshifting female figures in the exhibition A sustained becoming: Studio Museum Artists in Residence 2026, according to a Hyperallergic review published by critic Valentina Di Liscia. The review highlights two 2026 works on paper by Pharr that, in the critic’s description, metamorphose before the viewer’s eyes, drawing on themes of girlhood and womanhood.
The review centers on Pharr’s “Squinching my eyes shut and wishing real hard (Honey’s Dream)” (2026), a work on paper in which, as Di Liscia describes, scales, fur, flower petals, gossamer wings and dewdrops coalesce into the figure of a woman rendered “long and animalesque.” The critic notes that the work’s raw, frayed edges belie the force of the composition within them.
A second work, “Bring My Bones Home!” (2026), depicts what Di Liscia describes as a “bulbous female figure” coiled around a tiny creature “in a gesture of tender but watchful protection,” with spiky sculptural elements protruding guardingly above her.
Pharr’s works appear alongside pieces by Simonette Quamina, whose indigo-hued dreamscapes, and Taylor Simmons, whose intimate oil tableaux, fill the same gallery. The exhibition is installed in a spacious fourth-floor gallery of the Studio Museum’s new 82,000-square-foot building in Harlem, with the reviewer noting evident curatorial care to avoid crowding and to let each artist’s practice breathe.
Why This Cohort Show Matters
The exhibition marks the residency cohort’s public presentation in the Studio Museum’s new 82,000-square-foot Harlem building, a significant institutional milestone for a museum long known for championing artists of African and Latino descent. The artist-in-residence program has historically launched major careers, and the 2026 cohort’s debut draws critical attention as a first look at emerging practices.
The positive notice for Pharr — with the reviewer describing works that metamorphose before the viewer’s eyes — positions the artist as a standout within the cohort, which can influence gallery and collector interest following a residency exhibition.
The Studio Museum’s Residency Legacy
The Studio Museum in Harlem has run its artist-in-residence program since 1968, providing studio space and an annual group exhibition for emerging artists of African and Latino descent. Alumni of the program include many now-prominent figures in contemporary art.
The institution’s new 82,000-square-foot building on West 125th Street, designed to expand the museum’s galleries and public programming, now houses the residency exhibition in its fourth-floor gallery — a considerably larger footprint than the museum’s long-term temporary quarters while its permanent home was under construction.
Details the Review Leaves Open
The Hyperallergic piece is a pocket review, a short-format critique, and does not address the full scope of the exhibition, the number of artists included beyond the three named, or the exhibition’s closing date. The review does not state whether Pharr’s works are accompanied by other pieces by the artist in the show.
Official exhibition dates, programming, and information on whether the works are for sale have not been confirmed in the source material and would need to be verified with the Studio Museum directly.
Following the Residency Cohort
Visitors can see A sustained becoming: Studio Museum Artists in Residence 2026 on the museum’s fourth floor in Harlem. The Studio Museum typically announces public programs, artist talks, and walk-throughs tied to its residency exhibitions; readers should check the museum’s website for scheduling.
For the cohort — Pharr, Quamina and Simmons among them — the exhibition’s run is typically followed by post-residency developments such as gallery representation and future solo shows, though no such announcements have been confirmed at the time of the review.
Key Questions
Who is Derriann Pharr?
Derriann Pharr is an artist-in-residence at the Studio Museum in Harlem whose drawings on paper, according to Hyperallergic’s review, draw from girlhood and womanhood and depict shapeshifting female figures.
Where and when can the exhibition be seen?
The exhibition A sustained becoming: Studio Museum Artists in Residence 2026 is on view at the Studio Museum’s new 82,000-square-foot building in Harlem, in a fourth-floor gallery. The exact closing date was not stated in the review; check the museum’s website for details.
Which other artists are in the show?
The review names Simonette Quamina, known for indigo-hued dreamscapes, and Taylor Simmons, whose intimate oil tableaux share the gallery with Pharr’s works.
What works by Pharr does the review highlight?
Two 2026 works on paper: “Squinching my eyes shut and wishing real hard (Honey’s Dream)”, depicting a woman rendered “long and animalesque,” and “Bring My Bones Home!”, showing a protective female figure coiled around a small creature.
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