January Artist Charlie Westbrook: Road Kill

This month at Black Iris Social Club, we were honored to present Road Kill by Charlie Westbrook—a powerful body of work that arrived in Richmond fresh from Art Basel Miami and landed with unmistakable impact.

Road Kill is a meditation on stewardship, consequence, and absence.

Westbrook’s animals are not depicted as victims of spectacle, but as quiet witnesses to human decisions made long before the moment of collision. Suspended in stark, stripped-down environments, these figures occupy a liminal space shaped more by what has been erased than by what remains. Migration routes paved over, margins ignored, convenience chosen again and again over care—these paintings ask viewers to sit with the cumulative weight of those choices.

The opening First Friday was a big success, with multiple works finding new homes. Even on a cold night, the gallery was filled with conversation, reflection, and genuine engagement with the work. It was one of those evenings that reminds us why Richmond’s art community is special—people show up, lean in, and support artists who are willing to ask difficult questions.

We’re grateful to everyone who came out to spend the night with the work and with each other. Your presence and support made the show what it was, and helped celebrate a significant moment for a great Richmond artist whose work continues to resonate well beyond this city.

Road Kill stands as both a warning and a mirror—quiet, direct, and unflinching—and we’re proud to have hosted its Richmond presentation at Black Iris.