Intent Possibilities
An exhibition of works by Anthony Francis
On view October 2 - November 8, 2026
The Lanecia A. Rouse Gallery is excited to announce Intent Possibilities, an exhibition of works by artist Anthony Francis, curated by his brother and Houston-based artist, Mark Francis.
The exhibition centers around two photographic portrait series that examine ambiguous gestures, poses, and body language, prompting viewers to reflect on physical expressions of emotion and how they may change or vary in the lives of others. Read more about this exhibition in the curatorial statement:
Artists develop their own language during the span of their life and art practice. We viewers decide if their work is compelling enough for us to invest time and effort no matter how long it may have taken the artist to develop it. Artists are not concealing information when they speak in their language but are asking us to engage and exchange energy, care, and time in examining their souls’ expression. Intent Possibilities is an exhibition comprised of work from two individual series in which Anthony Francis invites you to decode this collection of moments of pause, symbols of motivation, means, and reasons for creating, and being. He uses reflections, body language, body positioning and lighting to set moods to clue you into a world that can’t exist without the force that binds and guides us in ways we spend our whole lives to understand. This work and exhibition are best experienced in the same way that life is, open heart, open mind, and reserved judgments.
— Mark Francis, Curator
About the artist.
Anthony Francis
Anthony Francis is a photographic artist whose work considers the politics of portraiture. Communal gatherings have rendered the studio a place for shared yearning while critiquing the way his own intentions fall short in the practice of a flawed apparatus. He holds degrees in English, an MA in Educational Administration, and an MFA from the Academy of Art University. He has exhibited nationally and abroad, with shows including the McNay Museum, and has given talks and presentations at Black Portraitures in South Africa and Atlanta Contemporary for Descrit. His work was recently acquired for the permanent collection at the McNay Contemporary Art Museum.
About the curator.
Mark Francis
Mark Francis is mostly known as a multidisciplinary artist whose work deals primarily with the perception and intimate knowledge of oneself and others beyond superficiality. Growing up in southwest Houston, ALIEF, to be exact, Mark learned so much from the seemingly endless ethnic diversity the community offers. Notably, he learned how monolithically the African diaspora is viewed. His work seeks to show the dynamism of his community to themselves and others to create a more holistic view of who black people are and can be. As curator, he aims to aid artists in removing obstacles and barriers so they can tell their stories in their full voice. For the solo exhibition of Anthony Francis, his older brother, to be his foray into curation is an honor and a pleasure.
