“The narratives come together to create this overall picture that you see from the distance,” says Julie Mehretu, describing her work. “As you come close to it … the big picture completely shatters and there are these numerous small narratives happening.” In some of her largest works ever, Mehretu has enlisted the help of a master printer’s team of six etchers to create six, sprawling aquatints. Inspired by her recent voyage to China, Mehretu’s pieces suggest the stages that lie between death and rebirth. —E.C.