Portland museum displays 150 print works by Anish Kapoor

The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Portland State University is currently exhibiting 'Dissolving Margins,' a collection comprising roughly 150 works by Anish Kapoor. The display runs through December 5, 2026. This marks the first time the artist has mounted a retrospective dedicated solely to his printmaking practice. Kapoor, who was born in Mumbai in 1954, previously gained international recognition for representing the United Kingdom at the 44th Venice Biennale and winning the Turner Prize in 1990.

While Kapoor is widely known for large-scale sculptures such as 'Cloud Gate' in Chicago, the current exhibition at the museum focuses on abstract prints created over four decades. One sculpture titled 'The Mirror' is positioned near the museum entrance. Other famous pieces not included in this specific show include 'Void Field,' a collection of sandstone sculptures, and 'Shooting into the corner,' a 2009 installation that emits blood-red wax at regular intervals.

Alexis Garcia, the program and outreach coordinator for the museum, noted that Kapoor rarely defines the specific meaning behind his works. "There is never a right or wrong interpretation. He really likes to leave space for you as a viewer to interpret it," Garcia said. She added that the color red serves as a central theme in the exhibition, appearing in titles and plaques. Garcia explained that this choice stems from Kapoor's childhood in India, where red carries cultural and spiritual weight. "He remembers color very vividly. He talks a lot about the idea of how red is the color that brides wear," she said.

Moriah Conkel, a gallery attendant, observed that visitors spend the most time with the black and white collection titled 'History,' which is located in the museum basement. Conkel attributed this to the sense of infinity the pieces evoke. "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 emphasized that the art requires active engagement from the audience. "You have to be willing to tell your own story. You have to be willing to engage in that way," she said.

Another gallery attendant, Madi Hagebush, identified 'Mother of Light' as a favorite piece from the show. Created in 1991, the work explores themes of maternity and the void using shades of brown and a small white center. Hagebush noted that Kapoor’s work often balances emptiness and fullness. "He is mainly influenced by emptiness and fullness. He talks about the void. He likes having people interpret what they think," Hagebush said.

The museum is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays. Thursday hours extend until 7 p.m. Admission to the 'Dissolving Margins' exhibition is free.