At this year’s Independent Art Fair, dealers are balancing the presence of established blue-chip artists with a focus on lesser-known talents, presenting a diverse array of contemporary works. While early pieces by Pablo Picasso, somewhat misaligned with the fair’s overall curatorial direction, occupy a less prominent corner, the event notably highlights fresh voices and overlooked figures.

Among the featured artists is Frank Diaz Escalet, a self-taught New Yorker whose flat, impressionistic paintings incorporate inlaid leather. His work is showcased by Hollis Taggart and reflects a unique blend of material and texture within an otherwise two-dimensional form.

Leon Tovar Gallery offers a joint survey of Colombian artists Edgar Negret and Omar Rayo, both of whom settled in New York and developed intersecting approaches to geometric abstraction. Negret’s sculptures employ industrial materials, with painted metal planes that fold and connect through visible joints and bolts, balancing a sense of solidity with an impression of weightlessness. In contrast, Rayo’s paintings focus on interlocking bands that seem to fold into the canvas, transforming flat surfaces into dynamic spatial experiences.

Adding a historical dimension to the fair, Ritu Ratnam presents works by Rita Keegan, a seminal figure in the British Black Arts Movement of the 1980s. Keegan is recognized for pioneering CopyArt, a practice utilizing photocopiers as artistic tools. This approach not only addressed practical challenges related to permanent studio access but also anticipated later developments in digital manipulation techniques, marking a significant innovation in artistic production.