FORWARD
Morton Fine Art is pleased to present Forward, a solo exhibition of new fineliner pen drawings by Mississippi-born, Maryland-based artist Michael Andrew Booker, on view from November 1 through December 13, 2025. With Forward, Booker continues his exploration of Black interiority and personhood through a series of short visual stories, capturing solitary figures in quiet yet resolute moments of transition.
Rendered in Booker’s signature intricate style, each drawing in Forward presents a character navigating a moment of psychological, emotional, or physical movement. Though the direction ahead may be uncertain, what unites these portraits is an inner strength—an insistence on seeking something better. The act of stepping forward becomes both metaphor and gesture, as Booker’s characters move away from personal and societal burdens, asserting agency in the face of adversity.
"These drawings depict a desire for change," says Booker. "Even when the outcome is unknown, there’s determination in the decision to move forward. It’s about transition, growth, and the resilience required to leave something behind."
Booker’s compositions oscillate between abstraction and figuration, balancing formal precision with emotive depth. Using archival fineliner pens on paper, he conjures vivid textures, bold patterns, and layered symbolism. In many works, faces are obscured or turned away, shifting focus instead to hair as a site of expressive identity. Color, gesture, symbolism, and environment become vehicles for storytelling, imbuing each figure with narrative weight and emotional complexity.
The visual language of Forward draws on a rich tapestry of cultural references, blending personal memory with shared cultural histories. As with previous bodies of work, Booker’s detailed mark-making and compositional density echo the layered nature of self-reflection and emotional navigation.
Despite the introspective tone of these works, Forward ultimately extends a hand outward. In illuminating the private moments of his characters’ journeys, Booker invites viewers to consider their own paths—to reflect on the spaces they inhabit, the histories they carry, and the ways they, too, might move forward.
Michael Andrew Booker is a Mississippi-born, Maryland-based artist known for his intricate fineliner pen drawings that explore themes of Black identity, psychological space, and cultural symbolism. Drawing on influences ranging from quilting traditions and hair culture, Booker creates layered compositions that blur the line between figuration and abstraction. His work offers nuanced reflections on emotional resilience and the inner lives of his subjects. Booker holds an MFA in Studio Art and has exhibited nationally, including previous solo shows with Morton Fine Art.