Conditions of Inheritance: Bobby K. Hill and Coby Kennedy
Installation Views: Coby Kennedy, Bobby K. Hill, Conditions of Inheritance 524 West 19th Street, New York, NY. February 19, 2026- April 11, 2026 Photography courtesy L’SPACE Gallery
L’SPACE Gallery, in collaboration with ARTMoney Society, opened the exhibition Conditions of Inheritance, an exhibition featuring works by Bobby K. Hill and Coby Kennedy that engages questions of cultural inheritance, material legacy, and the systems that shape both. There was an opening reception on February 19th. The exhibition will conclude on April 11, 2026, at their location at 524 West 19th Street, New York, NY.
Installation Views: Coby Kennedy, Bobby K. Hill, Conditions of Inheritance 524 West 19th Street, New York, NY. February 19, 2026- April 11, 2026 Photography courtesy L’SPACE Gallery
Conditions of Inheritance brings together two distinct yet resonant artistic practices rooted in figurative language and material intelligence. Working across layered narratives of family, memory, and inheritance, the artists construct complex visual languages that engage questions of lineage, pressure, and continuity. Shaped by lived experience and cultural inheritance, these narratives reflect the power of ancestral legacy and family to withstand ongoing systemic pressures—revealing resilience as constructed, not assumed, and creating space for empowerment and celebration. This inquiry finds distinct expression in the practices of Bobby K. Hill and Coby Kennedy, whose works approach inheritance through personal history, material experimentation, and symbolic form.
Bobby K. Hill, Chasing Bubbles, 2019, mixed media, paint on repurposed wood, 31 x 22 in
Bobby K. Hill’s Inner Child Collection on canvas and The Stellar Collection on repurposed wood incorporate elements of painting, collage, and printmaking to create introspective portraits of family and community. His works combine figurative elements layered across multiple perspectives, portraying interwoven relationships between generations—connections lost and found over time, yet still part of a strong lineage. Familiar imagery is created by hand using house paint, abstract textures, and finishes reminiscent of woodblock/screenprinting, splatter painting, and graffiti. Inspired by years of immersion in commercial design and popular culture, alongside a keen observation of fine art techniques and traditions, he presents an emotionally rich slice of New York City life and beyond.
Coby Kennedy, Accretion Collision, 2025, ballistic grade Kevlar, steel, rust, resin, fiberglass, 76 x 36 x 9 in
Coby Kennedy’s latest body of work extends his Afro-Futurist leanings through a deeply personal lens shaped by parenthood. As the father of two young daughters, his bold, unflinching engagement with the realities of racism in the United States has evolved into a metaphorical exploration of ancestral lineage and protection. He stretches bulletproof Kevlar canvases, pigmented with rust, onto roughly soldered, geometrically shaped metal frames. Other works take the form of shields, some fragmented as if from battle. Images of his daughters appear throughout the series as mythic figures, their hair braided by out-of-frame ancestors.
Together, the works of Hill and Kennedy demonstrate the power and persistence of artistic vision that surpasses social and political boundaries. Drawing viewers into the nuances of each artist’s personal history, the exhibition invites a dialogue that resonates with universal understanding.
For more information about this exhibition and others at L’SPACE Gallery, please visit their site here. The Gallery can be found on Instagram here. The magazine did an interview with Coby, which can be found here. The magazine also did an interview with Bobby, which can be found here.
