Derek Fordjour is a Brooklyn-based artist in his 40s making work that addresses various issues in current American culture, specifically exploring depictions of race and identity. He is a multi-disciplinary artist, but his primary medium is a form of vibrant painting on layered cardboard and paper, which gives the work a unique, three-dimensional quality.

His brilliant solo booth earlier this month at Art Basel Miami Beach [at Josh Lilley gallery] introduced the work to a larger audience, and with a recently completed project for the Whitney Museum and big gallery shows on the horizon in Los Angeles and London, he is poised for a breakout year. —Candace Worth