U.S. multidisciplinary artist Devin Troy Strother is exhibiting his newest paintings and sculptures at the “Flagrant Foul” exhibition at the Over the Influence Gallery in Hong Kong.

Known for his darkly humorous alternative racial narratives in a variety of media from cut paper to neon signage, Strother has looked back at the mythologies surrounding the black athlete and, in particular, basketball.

In Strother’s newest body of work, he systematically works to dismantle the stereotype of “natural black athleticism” by putting in players of all races, in settings that reflect both the inner cities and the bucolic suburbs. Taking cues from Romare Bearden’s groundbreaking collage “The Block” (1971), Strother’s work shows a slice of contemporary life with basketball as the common denominator.

Born in 1986, the artist received his BFA from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California in 2009. He completed a residency at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Skowhegan, Maine in 2010.

Strother found that it was nearly impossible to be a black artist and not make work that was interpreted as being about the black experience. So he chose to celebrate black culture with comedy.

Strother’s work acknowledges the foundation of “American culture” in that of African-American performers and entertainers — from jazz and the blues, to contemporary dance, sports and hip-hop.

He uses the stereotypes of the black entertainer to regain control of the narrative which often fetishizes black people. Each artwork is planned like a veteran stand-up comedian — the work itself is the setup for the joke with the title as the punchline. The lengthy and often absurd titles have become a signature part of the artist’s practice, supporting his visual vernacular with an additional layer of wit.

Dates: Until June 28

Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m., closed Sundays, Mondays

Venue: 1/F, 159 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong

MTR: Sheung Wan Station

(Doria Nan)