New Works by Artist and Activist Roberto Lugo on Display at the Princeton University Art Museum this February

PRINCETON, NJ – Roberto Lugo / Orange and Black, an exhibition of new work by the Philadelphia-based artist and activist, will open at the Princeton University Art Museum’s Art@Bainbridge gallery this winter (February 15 to July 6, 2025). Lugo’s art will be shown alongside a selection of ancient Greek vessels from the Museum’s collections, references to which can be seen in some of his works on view in the exhibition. 

Lugo is a celebrated artist, ceramicist, activist, poet, and educator. The artist draws on his North Philadelphia upbringing and Puerto Rican heritage, blending contemporary subjects with ancient forms and techniques in his ceramic works to address themes of poverty, inequality, incarceration, and racial injustice. Lugo’s series Orange and Black is inspired by ancient makers who documented their histories and celebrated their heroes by representing them on ceramic vessels. As a callback to such ancient traditions, works from this series depict scenes of everyday life inspired by modern-day urban landscapes, as well as more recent historical figures—such as Harriet Tubman, Ruby Bridges, Jackie Robinson, and the Central Park Five—who traditionally have been absent from standard art historical narratives. 

“Ceramics have been used for millennia not only as functional vessels in daily life but also as vehicles for artists for the depiction of mythical and historical narratives, facilitating social interactions among the peoples who used them,” said Carolyn Laferrière, associate curator of ancient Mediterranean art at the Museum. “By displaying Lugo’s works alongside ancient vessels from our collections, we’re able to position Lugo within the long tradition of ceramicists and storytellers, while also highlighting the important ways in which Lugo creatively adapts and departs from the Greek tradition. Throughout his Orange and Black series, we see him taking from and building on Greek ornamental vase decoration to relate it to the imagery that pervades the present-day landscape of Philadelphia, ultimately creating a new mythology and visual vocabulary of life in America.” 

“It’s always enthralling to see a contemporary artist take inspiration from the past and in this case to do so directly from our ancient collections. Roberto’s work demonstrates the ongoing 

value of these ancient devices for capturing the human experience,” said James Steward, Nancy A. Nasher–David J. Haemisegger, Class of 1976, Director of the Princeton University Art Museum. “Practitioners such as Roberto demonstrate the continuing vitality that the art of the past can have for our own lived experience, including contemporary North Philadelphia and now visitors to Art@Bainbridge in downtown Princeton.” 

The exhibition begins with an introduction to Lugo’s practice and work as a poet and activist for racial justice. Among the works is Same Boy, Different Breakfast (2024), a vase that depicts on one side a young man sitting in his room at home, and on the other side the same youth sitting in a prison cell. Shown in conversation with Lugo’s vase is an ancient vessel used for mixing water and wine. On one side young men are shown drinking together, while on the other they stand together. For both of these objects—ancient and contemporary—images are deployed on either side of the vessel, inviting the viewer to move around each vase, to think about the two scenes in tandem, and to consider the disparity between the experiences of a young man’s life that have been placed on display. Additional galleries will be organized around themes of human and ceramic bodies, ornamentation, and narrative. 

A robust schedule of public programs will accompany the exhibition, including a faculty panel, a conversation between the artist and curator, an artist’s demonstration on a pottery wheel, and a poetry performance to showcase Lugo’s spoken word practice, held at the Princeton Public Library. Visit the Museum’s online calendar for specific dates and times. 

Roberto Lugo / Orange and Black is organized by the Princeton University Art Museum and curated by Carolyn Laferrière, associate curator of ancient Mediterranean art. 

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About Art@Bainbridge 

Art@Bainbridge is made possible through the generous support of the Virginia and Bagley Wright, Class of 1946, Program Fund for Modern and Contemporary Art; the Kathleen C. Sherrerd Program Fund for American Art; Joshua R. Slocum, Class of 1998, and Sara Slocum; Rachelle Belfer Malkin, Class of 1986, and Anthony E. Malkin; Barbara and Gerald Essig; Gene Locks, Class of 1959, and Sueyun Locks; and Ivy Beth Lewis. 

Additional support for this exhibition is provided by the Curtis W. McGraw Foundation; the Edna W. Andrade Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation; and Princeton University’s Humanities Council, Program in Latin American Studies, Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies (with the support of the Stanley J. Seeger Hellenic Fund), Department of African American Studies, Graduate School—Access, Diversity and Inclusion, Effron Center for the Study of America, and Program in Latino Studies. 

About the Princeton University Art Museum 

With a collecting history that extends back to 1755, the Princeton University Art Museum is one of the leading university art museums in the country, featuring collections that have grown to include more than 117,000 works of art ranging from ancient to contemporary art and spanning the globe. Committed to advancing Princeton’s teaching and research missions, the Museum also serves as a gateway to the University for visitors from around the world. 

The main Museum building is currently closed for the construction of a bold and welcoming new facility, slated to open in fall 2025. 

Please visit the Museum’s website for digital access to the collections, a diverse portfolio of programs, and details on visiting our downtown galleries. The Museum Store, located at 56 Nassau Street in downtown Princeton’s Palmer Square, is open daily, or shop online at www.princetonmuseumstore.org.

Media Contacts: Hannah Fuchs | puam@berlinrosen.com