There’s a quiet strength to “Exhibiting Forgiveness” in what is left unsaid. It would have been easy to broadly categorize writer/director Titus Kaphar’s directorial debut with several other “festival darlings” in which a promising young storyteller tries to examine their own grief, guilt, or trauma through the means of a “slice of life” story. While many of these indie films are quite charming in their personability, they generally lack the formal excellence that is needed to be seen as truly major works. Kaphar quickly proves himself to be an outlier with “Exhibiting Forgiveness,” which is in no small part due to the fact that the film is about the importance of utilizing visual language.

At the center of “Exhibiting Forgiveness” is a career-best performance from Andre Holland as Tarrell, an acclaimed painter fresh off the success of a recent showcase. Tarrell is undeniably dedicated to his craft,...