Lonnie Holley, born in Birmingham, Alabama had nothing short of a chaotic childhood. As the seventh of 27 children, Holley traveled across the South and held a wide array of jobs – grave digger, cotton picker and short-order cook at Disney World, before making his first artwork at the age of 29.

Since then, Holley has devoted his life to improvisational creativity, working across drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, performance and sound, drawing on his Alabama upbringing and formative years. With no formal art training and no art supplies, Holley first started making sculptures carved from sandstone before settling on his preferred material: found objects. Using steel scraps, plastic flowers or even abandoned buildings and decayed urban sites as a source for materials, he has kept a steady flow of making art over the years. Motivated by artmaking as a personal pursuit, Holley has never been interested in sharing his creative output with others until the past few years. Music forms an integral aspect of his practice, which he has always considered his outward facade based on growing up in Alabama and the struggles of the African American people. Notably, both his art and music are improvisational, with no two artworks or compositions ever the same.

His exhibition at Dallas Contemporary, the artist’s first in Texas, features a new body of ceramic works made specifically for the show that continue his long-standing interests and investigations. The presentation highlights Holley’s creative talent and fresh aesthetics born out of a history of toil, hardship and an enduring curiosity.

Following the opening day, the exhibit will be on view through August 21.