An American Fiction
Opening Reception:
Saturday, September 5th, from 2:00 – 6:00
The exhibit will run September 5 – October 3, 2026.
Galerie Myrtis is proud to present “An American Fiction,” a solo exhibition showcasing new paintings by Ronald Jackson. This presentation marks a compelling new chapter in Jackson’s ongoing exploration of identity, memory, and portraiture. The exhibit introduces a vibrant cast of characters drawn from a fictional narrative inspired by Percival Everett’s novel “Erasure,” alongside elements from its film adaptation directed by Cord Jefferson.
Artist Statement
I create and paint characters who belong to stories that are yet to be written.
My work begins in the private space of invention—creating individuals out of imagination, and then imagining how their lives intersect within an unmade world. Drawing inspiration from the satirical humor of American Fiction and the layered storytelling of Percival Everett’s Erasure, this series frames each portrait as a casting list or a production still from an unrealized screenplay titled An American Fiction.
Through detailed and cinematic titles, each figure is cast twice over: as a character holding a specific station in an untold narrative, and as a fictional actor playing the part. Some of these figures wear masks—a motif that has been central to my practice, suggesting that there is something to be discovered. I use the mask not to conceal, but to signal that a rich, unexcavated narrative exists beneath the surface. It asks the viewer to consider what lies beyond the visible role, prompting a question central to performance: are we admiring the superficial? Do we distinguish between the performer and the character being played? Do we recognize that there is likely a very different reality than the one being presented to us?
In the film American Fiction, the protagonist, Monk, describes his creative process with striking simplicity: “I just invent little people in my mind and make them have conversations with each other.” That spark of pure imagination—the freedom to build characters simply because they are interesting—is the foundation of my interest in creating characters inside imagined stories.
I choose to convey imagery with a quiet and subtle touch of magical realism, where things feel just slightly outside of the ordinary. With AN AMERICAN FICTION, I set a stage that teeters on the edges of the fantastical. I present characters that occupy spaces within the deliberate mysteries of an unfinished story – an unfinished story that only develops further when in collaboration with the viewer’s imagination.
— Ronald Jackson