Dallas Contemporary is pleased to present Masahiro LaMarsh: Anticlastic, featuring custom-made grillz by LaMarsh, a New York-based jeweler who uses traditional metalsmithing techniques to render highly-intricate, often bejeweled pieces worn over the teeth. The exhibition, curated by Alexandra Hulsey, highlights the parallels between architectural forms and personal adornment in a body of work that is grounded in craftsmanship and archival references, balancing classical associations with the contemporary, intimate nature of grillz. Creating a dialogue between historical and modern expressions of  identity through adornment, Anticlastic asserts that grillz are a storied and significant art form.

From ancient Etruscan and Mayan practices to adornment within hip-hop culture and fashion, tooth ornamentation has long represented more than aesthetics, serving as a symbol of socioeconomic status, a cultural signifier, and a bold statement of self-expression. These objects are both remnants of and reflections on the times in which they are worn. In line with Dallas Contemporary’s mission to foreground the art of the moment, exhibitions such as Anticlastic embrace challenging and provocative subject matter in order to examine and complicate themes of subculture, identity, and (dis)placement.

The term anticlastic refers to a surface that curves in opposite directions along perpendicular axes. In metalsmithing, it is a technique that creates dynamic, flowing shapes that suggest movement, tension, and duality. The exhibition’s namesake mirrors storytelling and oral histories: the mouth as both form and function—a vessel for speech, expression, and proclamation. The black-walled gallery in which the grillz are displayed and illuminated acts as a metaphorical void, reminiscent of the mouth.

Two videos accompany the exhibition, showing the process of making the grillz on display. One is a short film by Japanese-American electronic artist Shigeto, who explores his family’s WWII internment through archival footage, music, and personal reflection. As debates around citizenship and surveillance currently resurface with the renewed focus on the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, the film offers a poignant reminder of how history echoes through generations. The other film is an evocative representation of the influences behind LaMarsh’s custom grill for Erykah Badu, titled 7 Gates, with inspiration taken from Moorish motifs and Islamic iconography.

Anticlastic invites consideration of the vulnerability and courage involved in expressing one’s character on one’s face, and the cultural, personal, and ancestral histories embedded in such storytelling.