Though Jonathan Lyndon Chase is best known for their charged figurative paintings and plush sculptures, the genesis point for their creative process isn’t dissimilar to that of many fashion designers. ‘My artistic practice usually starts with a drawing or a sketch and then it sort of ripples out and transforms from there,’ they share over email, a couple days out from the unveiling of their latest large-scale commission. The fashion comparison is particularly apt since the commission in question is for Acne Studios, with the multidisciplinary artist creating the set for the Swedish fashion brand’s show during Paris Fashion Week S/S 2025.
For the set, the artist has created an entirely new series of works, installed both within and on the exterior of a purpose-built box, set in the garden of L’Observatoire de Paris. Riffing on the abiding focuses of their artistic practice, the installation explores the complex relationships between domestic and public spaces, the contested status of Black queer bodies within them, and the imprints they leave as they pass through.
