The conceptual artist Adam Pendleton moved from Virginia to New York in 2002, when he was only 18. Pendleton had one thing on his mind: to make his fortune. His first solo show, at Yvon Lambert Gallery, came three years later. Pendleton presented two-color canvases upon which he’d silk-screened phrases from Black music and literature; it was his first attempt to make sense of difficult subject matter. Pendleton continues to explore the relationship between Blackness and the avant-garde in paintings, drawings, and other media. Though he’s only 41, his work has already been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney. This is Pendleton’s first comprehensive solo show in Washington, D.C. —Elena Clavarino