Portland museum displays 150 prints by Anish Kapoor for free

Roughly 150 works by Anish Kapoor are on display at the Jordan D. Schnitzer Museum of Art (JSMA) at Portland State University. The exhibition, titled "Dissolving Margins," marks the Indian-born artist's first retrospective dedicated specifically to his printmaking. Kapoor, who was born in Mumbai in 1954, represented the United Kingdom at the 44th Venice Biennale and won the Turner Prize the following year.

The collection spans four decades of the artist's career. While Kapoor is widely recognized in the United States for his sculpture "Cloud Gate," often called "The Bean," in Chicago, this show focuses on abstract prints. One sculpture, titled "The Mirror," is positioned by the museum front desk. The remaining pieces highlight the technical detail and bold colors of his graphic work.

Alexis Garcia, the museum's program and outreach coordinator, stated that Kapoor rarely defines the meaning of his art. "There is never a right or wrong interpretation. He really likes to leave space for you as a viewer to interpret it," Garcia said. The exhibition features red titles and plaques, reflecting the artist's stated inspiration from the color red. Garcia noted that Kapoor recalls the color vividly from his childhood in India, where red is traditional for brides. He also associates the hue with spice markets and pigment baskets from his early years.

Moriah Conkel, a gallery attendant, observed that visitors often spend the most time with the "History" collection. Created in 2007, this black and white series is located in the museum basement. Conkel said the works capture a sense of infinity and expansiveness. "I like his attempt at capturing infinity or this sense of expansiveness. I feel like he's pretty much solely focused on this idea of the void or the horizon," Conkel said. She added that the pieces suggest spaces beyond life, which she finds challenging to capture visually.

Another attendant, Madi Hagebush, identified the piece "Mother of Light" as her favorite. Created in 1991, the work uses shades of brown that spiral toward a small white space. Hagebush said Kapoor is influenced by the concepts of emptiness and fullness. "He talks about the void. He likes having people interpret what they think, and how they can see that in the art with lack of color in open space," Hagebush said. She noted that the artist's global background and collaborations allow viewers to find cultural connections within the work.

Garcia explained that the prints create optical effects. Even when still, the images appear to move or breathe to the viewer. "They create an optical position. The 'Workflow Now' series is standing in front of a quadrant board and creating pulsate. They start to breathe or pulsate," Garcia said. She emphasized that the work requires active observation to fully perceive the illusions.

The exhibition is free to the public. The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with extended hours until 7 p.m. on Thursdays. The show runs through December 5, 2026.