In 1991, Nick Cave's "Soundsuits," a pioneering body of work that pushed the boundaries of Abstract Expressionism and Conceptualism, catapulted the artist to a kind of insular stardom rarely achieved in today's crowded and increasingly global art world.

The project, more than twenty sculptural forms bedecked with dazzling and bejeweled costumes based on the scale of his body, forced viewers to contemplate the works as art and fashion. A former dancer in Alvin Alley's company, Mr. Cave created colorful, orchestrated performances that framed the project both as performance art while proposing the pieces as ritualistic objects.

Mr. Cave has long employed a wide range of mediums including sculpture, installation, video, sound and performance while mounting shows at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, Denver Art Museum and the Trapholt Museum in Denmark.

Now, Jack Shainman Gallery in Manhattan is hosting a two-part exhibition of new work by the artist at the gallery's two Chelsea locations. "Made for Whites by Whites" and "Rescue."

Both shows include artifacts and found objects Cave amassed from his travels around the globe.

"Rescue," on view at Jack Shainman Gallery at 524 West 24th Street, includes sculptures that incorporate found ceramic dogs sitting on furniture within elaborate grottos or dreamlike dens, the gallery says. "Made for Whites by Whites," showing at the Jack Shainman Gallery at 513 West 20th Street, centers around objects which promote racial stereotypes, the artists says.

"The materials and forms tell a story," Mr. Cave said at the show's opening. "What you see here are objects found and created to lift the idea of what art can explore and can tell you about our lives."

Mr. Cave, a Chicago-based artist, who shouldn't be confused with the Australian musician of the same name, has been represented by Jack Shainman since 2006.

"He's very ambitious as an artist and that drives the scale of his work," says Mr. Shainman, a veteran New York gallerist who recently opened a 30,000 square foot, multi-purpose project space in Kinderhook, New York. "He's not a person who takes any short cuts so what you see really comes out of this amazing, ambitious personality."

Both shows run through Saturday, October 11, 2014 and will be accompanied by special programming.