Alex Katz & Avant Arte for the Guggenheim

Alex Katz's relationship with the Guggenheim is a personal one. The American painter emerged in the mid-20th-century New York art scene, making a name for himself by fusing the energy of Abstract Expressionism with the visual language of mainstream visual culture – from billboards and magazines to Hollywood cinema. At 98, he's still painting and remains a celebrated figure in the art world.

Between October 2022 and February 2023, his landmark retrospective at the Guggenheim, Alex Katz: Gathering, showcased eight decades of work across Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic rotunda. Curated by Katherine Brinson in close collaboration with the artist, the exhibition traced his evolution from intimate subway sketches of the late 1940s to the more recent immersive landscapes.

Central to the show was his portrayal of Ada, his wife, beloved muse, and the subject of more than 250 portraits. Highlights included his first portrait of her just after they met, Ada in Black Sweater (1957), his landmark first painted cutout and double portrait, Ada Ada (1959), and his striking 1991 painting of the same name, which is now the subject of our upcoming limited edition print collaboration.

To honour Katz's rich and ever-evolving artistic legacy, we’ve worked with the artist to create the first-ever edition of his iconic 1991 painting Ada Ada, in partnership with the Guggenheim.

This landmark signed print is an intricate, 26-colour silkscreen, created in close collaboration with Katz by our master printmaker, Tom Murphy, at our London print studio, Make-Ready. 

I considered every layer, and drew the films for all 26 colours by hand. On a personal level, the project brought me back to my roots. Some of my earliest prints at university were made with hand-drawn films, so working on this felt like coming full circle – a reminder of why I fell in love with printmaking in the first place.

Tom Murphy, Founder of Make-Ready

The release serves as both a fundraising initiative for the museum and a rare opportunity for collectors to acquire an edition of the work.

All artwork images ©2025 Alex Katz, Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.
Installation images © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York.