Alfonso Ossorio, Christ in Limbo, 1950, watercolor, black ink, and wax on white wove paper. Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Gift of Frederic and Siena Ossorio, 2004.21. © Robert U. Ossorio Foundation.

Alfonso Ossorio: Line and Lineage
October 23, 2026 – April 11, 2027
Related Tours and Talks: Oct 28, Nov 4, 5, 18, Dec 9, Mar 3, Apr 6 & 9 
Modern and Contemporary Art, Harvard Art Museums

Discover the expressive power of line in Alfonso Ossorio: Line and Lineage, opening October 23, 2026, at Harvard Art Museums. Through a focused selection of works and archival materials, the exhibition explores the recurrent subjects, material experimentation, and development of line in prints, drawings, and wax-resist paintings by Alfonso Ossorio (1916–1990). Born in the Philippines, Ossorio studied art history at Harvard and shortly after moved to New York City, becoming an influential figure in the post–World War II American avant-garde. Showcasing works that chart both continuities and innovations across his six-decade practice, the exhibition positions Ossorio in dialogue with the artists he influenced, learned from, and inspired.

The exhibition is organized in conjunction with Knowledge Is Myth: Chimeric Continuities (October 1–December 13, 2026) at the neighboring Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts. Works by Ossorio as well as by Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien, a contemporary artist duo who engage with the continuing influence of a larger-than-life church mural that Ossorio completed in the Philippines, appear in both exhibitions.

Enrich your visit with a range of engaging programs, including curator-led talks, hosted by Harvard Art Museums and the Carpenter Center throughout the exhibition’s run.

Alfonso Ossorio: Line and Lineage is accompanied by a publication featuring two essays with new scholarship on Ossorio’s works on paper and a conversation with contemporary artists Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien.

To learn more, click here.