Backs Turned

Yarrow Slaps (born 1989, SF) is a San Francisco based artist raised on the Bay Area’s multicultural politics, aesthetics, and practices. Yarrow’s work involves deep research into race and culture. He finds ways to merge this research with under-recognized historical narratives, creating contemporary work woven within ancient fabric. Slaps' work reflects his deep engagement with the stories and communities around him. His paintings often feature figures from everyday life—friends, family, and people encountered in the streets—set against colorful, sometimes surreal backdrops that blend realism with abstract elements. Slaps has had Solo exhibitions at Galerie Wolfsen, De Young Museum, New Image Art, State Space, and Guerrero Gallery. As curator of Swim Gallery, Yarrow works and connects with hidden, emerging, and overlooked communities of artists and other creatives who question and challenge the traditional institutions and relationships of the contemporary art world.