Sean Cain

Russo Lee Gallery is pleased to present Mysterious Barricades, an exhibition by Sean Cain. This body of paintings marks his first solo show in several years. Exploring what he calls “eventful stillness, still eventfulness,” Cain brings together still life and narrative figure painting, allowing each genre to take on the qualities of the other. His paintings begin with the unexpected poetry of ordinary things, a scrap of plastic wrap caught in bark mulch, a plant seen through a window reflecting the world beyond, and extend that sense of mystery into scenes of human presence and narrative possibility. The exhibition’s title references François Couperin’s 1717 harpsichord piece Les Barricades Mystérieuses, a composition whose elusive meaning echoes Cain’s interest in the strangeness and beauty hidden within everyday experience. In Mysterious Barricades, familiar objects and unfolding narratives become thresholds to something less tangible, inviting viewers to linger in the space between the still and the eventful, the seen and the imagined.

A 1994 graduate of Pacific Northwest College of Art, Cain also studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. His work has been exhibited at Russo Lee Gallery, where he has presented numerous solo and group exhibitions. Cain was also included in group exhibitions at the Portland Art Museum, the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, and The Art Gym at Marylhurst University. His work has received attention in publications including Artweek, New American Paintings, Reflex Magazine, The Oregonian, and Willamette Week. Alongside his studio practice, Cain has been a visual arts educator at Northwest Academy in Portland, Oregon since 2001 where he also serves as Visual Art Department Chair.

Opening Reception | Thursday, November 5, 2026 | 5:00 - 7:00 PM

Artist Talk | Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 11:00 AM

Mysterious Barricades

November 5 – 28, 2026

Press Release