As its first, independent sculpture exhibition, New Sculptural Presence marks an exciting development for Nilufar Gallery. Through the work of three contemporary artists – Nao Matsunaga, Irina Razumovskaya and Jonathan Trayte – it brings new languages, references and forms to the gallery’s programming and ongoing commitment to cultural production.
Each artist was chosen for their adept handling of materials – be it clay, concrete, wood or cast bronze. Matsunaga intuitively responds as the natural properties reveal themselves through his working process, Razomovskaya balances control and surrender in equal measure, and Trayte carefully governs each crevice and brushstroke. Between them they draw from an equally diverse range of cultural references: from primitive nations and rituals, though historical archetypes, to today’s overconsumption and excessive production.
Curation and text by Libby Sellers
Exhibition design by Patricia Urquiola