“Afrochemistry”featuresa series of five large canvases andtwelve small red nose portraits on cardboard centring on the representation of black identity.Since the 1990s, Michael Ray Charles has become a widely recognised artist with a pioneering approach toinvestigating African-Americanquestions.He drawsonhisinexhaustible fund of energy and capacity to transcend linguistic, cultural and geographicboundariestocreate visual archives that stand as a personal chronicle ofan African-Americanhistory rooted in both terrorandlight, freedom and slavery, racism and humanity, guilt and responsibility.With Afrochemistry, Charles delicately juggles between idea and image to explore the way African-Americans are representedphysically and the resulting moral prejudices. The figures depicted in close-up radiate a feeling of depth and truth that has thedisconcertingly powerful effect of questioning our perceptions and emotional connection with others. The features Charlesgives the faces, as expressive as they are static, not only offer an examination of sensitive social issues but also serve as acatalyst for socialchangein modern-dayAmerica.