Jake Troyli (American, b. 1990) is a painter unafraid of self-reflection and presentation, and of engaging viewers in confounding dynamics that are as dryly humorous as they are, at times, uncomfortable. A former Division I basketball player, Troyli interrogates the dynamics of spectacle, performance, and race through the vulnerable lens of self-portraiture. His work is a Trojan horse; he masterfully deploys the compositional complexity of Hieronymus Bosch, the technical grace of the Renaissance masters, and the irreverent wit of MAD Magazine (a gift from his mother on his 8th birthday) to lure viewers into a critical examination of hypervisibility, systemic inequity, and the absurdities of contemporary American culture. By consistently centering his own avatar—often in comically stretched or contorted poses—Troyli implicates himself directly in his critiques, creating a powerful vulnerability that invites viewers to self-reflection.
By Any Stretch will be the most comprehensive survey of his work to date, spanning 2018–2026 and featuring approximately 50 major paintings and drawings that will feature both small-scale self-portraits, rife with symbolism and cultural coding (the history of Burberry fashion in hip hop, for instance), and the large-scale multifigure works that are equal parts Bosch and Where’s Waldo. A bird’s eye view provides a sense of surveillance and spectacle to the vignettes (close reading of these works is rewarded with “easter eggs,” including the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar quarrel and Kehinde Wiley’s portrait of President Barack Obama). By Any Stretch cements Troyli’s unique contribution to the history of self-portraiture, and also acts as a homecoming for the artist to the city that he was raised in. Accompanying the exhibition will be a scholarly catalogue, major public and site-specific installations, and an artist residency that will allow the artist to extend beyond the museum walls.
Troyli played Division 1 basketball at Presbyterian College, Clinton, SC, before receiving his BA from Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN (2013), and his MFA from the University of South Florida, Tampa (2020). He attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, ME, in 2019. His work has been featured in galleries and museums across the US and Europe, and is in numerous public collections. Troyli lives in Brooklyn, NY, and is represented by Monique Meloche Gallery.
Jake Troyli: By Any Stretch is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg
About Jake Troyli
Jake Troyli played Division 1 basketball at Presbyterian College, Clinton, SC before receiving his BA from Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN (2013), and his MFA from the University of South Florida, Tampa (2020). He attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, ME in 2019.
Troyli’s work has been featured in group exhibitions at Perrotin Gallery, New York, NY (2024); Galerie Droste, Düsseldorf, DE (2024); Milwaukee Art Museum, WI (2023-24); Everson Museum, Syracuse, NY (2023); Galerie Droste, Paris, FR (2021); The Ringling Museum, Sarasota, FL (2021); Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa, FL (2019); and San Francisco Art Institute, CA (2018). Troyli’s work is currently included in the group exhibition Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture, curated by Jennifer Dunlop Fletcher, Seph Rodney, and Katy Siegel, at SFMoMA, which travels to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Pérez Art Museum Miami and will be accompanied by a scholarly publication.
His work is in the permanent collections of the Tampa Art Museum, Tampa, FL; the Ringling Museum, Sarasota, FL; the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, KS; and Pierce and Hill Harper Arts Foundation, Detroit, MI.
FUNDED IN PART BY THE CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG AND THE MARGARET ACHESON STUART SOCIETY
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Images:
Jake Troyli, High noon at Ranchland®, 2019, Private Collection, Courtesy of the Artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago.