MY MAMA TOLD ME YOU WAS A PROBLEM, BITCH: ALVARO BARRINGTON

MASSIMODECARLO is delighted to present My Mama Told Me You Was a Problem Bitch, the second solo exhibition by London-based artist Alvaro Barrington in Milan.

January 15 - February 15, 2025

His practice, informed by his multilayered relationship with America, race, and class, is a continuous act of reimagining. In a nod to Arte Povera, Barrington transforms unconventional materials – concrete into canvas, rope into backdrop, and milk crates into stained glass – creating a personal American narrative.

The title My Mama Told Me You Was a Problem Bitch captures the energy of 90s rap, a genre that reshaped cultural narratives with its sharp wit, raw emotion, and unapologetic commentary on life. Inspired by the rhythm of five iconic tracks – Biggie’s Mo Money Mo Problems, Jay-Z’s 99 Problems, Nas’s Life’s a Bitch, Tupac’s Wonder Why They Call U Bitch, and LL Cool J’s Mama Said Knock You Out – Barrington stitches together a homage to a time when beats and biting truths formed a communal anthem for self-expression.

The exhibition brings together three distinct bodies of work, each engaging with the conditions of Black life through Barrington’s characteristic use of unusual materials. Jute rope, concrete, denim, and milk crates – materials tied to labour, mobility, and survival – become central to his reimagining of an American landscape.

Ultimately, My Mama Told Me You Was a Problem Bitch is a blend of rhythms, materials, cultural references, and deeply personal stories. Barrington’s work reflects both his journey and the world around him – part homage, part rebellion, but always authentically his own. In the exhibition, Black identity intertwines with memory, myth, and street lore. Barrington reminds us that art, whether in the form of a basket made from scraps or dots on a canvas, thrives by bridging the personal and the universal.