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      Forbidden Fruit – James Reka

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      Reka’s latest body of work peels back the layers of what it is to be human, questioning the viewer’s moral fibre and substance, teasing at notions of desire and sexuality. The Malta-based, Australian artist penned the following statement as a written exploration to accompany his finest work to-date, digging deep to ask himself, and more broadly, humanity, if they too would honestly not have been tempted by the Forbidden Fruit in the garden of Eden…‘The fruit that was forbidden in the Garden of Eden. The apple on the tree of knowledge, of good and evil. Used as a metaphor, for indulgence or pleasure, that is considered illegal or immoral. The human condition is one bound by an almost limitless scale of opportunity and stimuli. We live in a world of relentless temptation, where the primary drivers of life; hunger, safety and passion, are intertwined in a morally defined structure of our everyday existence – we are constantly responding to these urges and drives, as our actions create an eternal juxtaposition, between satisfying the primal needs of life, enjoying the fruits of our existence and the balance of morality.’‘This exhibition, represents a broadening of my aesthetic, reaffirming the dichotomy between morality and sin. In this language, my work provides an account of the reaction that has long governed discussion on tasting the Forbidden Fruit.  Consideration of our mortality plunges us into the rediscovery of self and paradoxically, into facing challenges of self, sometimes threatening, in the presence of sincere and pure truths. Uncontrollable urges abound where all is only sin and temptation. These primal forces bring forth all the complexity of human relations, where sex and seduction, attraction and desire, degradation, and self-destruction, all symbolise tasting the “Forbidden fruit”.’‘This exhibition explores the theme of desire and the underlining flawed nature of mankind, the realisation that we are not perfect nor exempt from falling for temptation. One of the humanistic, defining elements of Homo Sapiens, at least in our societal lives, is the balance between desire and morality. Many of us, understand that we always want, what we can’t have. I have sought here to relate the Primal urges that lead us to instinctively explore oneself and one’s surroundings, the eternal catalyst of discovery and pleasure that leads us into temptation.’‘Thus, I have drawn from the metaphorical ‘Forbidden Fruit’ references that abound in scriptures and texts, from the book of Genesis. It is the fruit that was forbidden to Adam and Eve, the battle between good and evil that overcame the Garden of Eden, the same battle that subsumes our modern lives.’‘My exhibition and the evolution of the forms within, invites the viewer to challenge themselves and ask – “Would I really not have tasted the forbidden fruit?”.’‘Too easily, one can assure oneself that you would resist temptation if challenged ! However, how many times a day do you jeopardise your own “salvation”?  After all, the breadth of “sins” we commit daily threatens the pathway to our potential paradise and we risk the fate of banishment that was wrought upon Adam & Eve.’‘The representation of the Apple is a critical symbol, a metaphorical device that alludes to sinful or forbidden pleasure.Core to this body of work, is my new life in Malta, where I have been inspired by the ancient Neolithic Maltese history and culture, tracing back to pre 5000BC. My exploration of the ancient temples scattered across the islands has been a noticeable influence of my work for this exhibition. Symbology, the sacred geometry of the megalithic structures and the natural colours and soft light of the Mediterranean, have been referenced in the series of canvases.’‘My representations of the figures in the larger canvases have also been inspired by the large-bodied female “mother-figure” statues, that once were residents of the ancient temples of this historical landscape. Simultaneously I have chosen to explore new textures, mimicking the limestone grain within which these megalithic structures are created.Departing from the norms of figurative painting, this exhibition depicts a series of Still Life canvas-works, focusing on the contrast of sliced fruit and sexual organs, overlaid with abstract elements of the human form. This is an abstracted composition of organic life, inviting the viewer to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between Mankind & Nature.’‘In addition, to accompany this series I have been working on large-scale landscape sceneries, depicting an abstract view of a “Garden of Eden” – with reclining nudes portrayed in frivolous acts. These also incorporate symbols of nature and in this Eden setting I have used a richer colour palate, referencing the fruits and colours of the Mediterranean.I am also excited to include in this exhibition, a small series of sculptures, that generate a balance between the scale of the humanistic large canvas works and the more accessible. This is an exhibition for all the senses!’‘Experience the temptation of ‘Forbidden Fruit’ at Backwoods Gallery from Friday September 17th to 3rd October 2021, in my hometown Melbourne.’ – James Reka, 2021FORBIDDEN FRUIT by JAMES REKA is online now at Backwoods Gallery More

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      Tokyo International Art Fair 2021

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      In a little over a week, the doors will open to Tokyo’s most exciting art fair.  The Tokyo International Art Fair, now in its sixth successful year, will be making a welcome come-back to the city on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th October, bringing hundreds of inspiring artists and thousands of visitors to Tokyo’s vibrant art scene.Set in the stylish Belle Salle exhibition hall in Roppongi, just a stone’s throw from the Mori Art Museum in the affluent Roppongi Hills, the free to attend two day art fair sees leading artists not just from Japan but from 25 other countries across the globe, converging on the capital for a celebration of contemporary art.What is unique about the art fair is that it offers the chance for artists and galleries to show and sell their work directly to art lovers and collectors, with no fees for buying or selling. Art lovers, whether seasoned collectors or those just starting on their journey into art, can pick out a piece to add to or start their collection from thousands of incredible pieces on display.There will also be a newly integrated Digital and Virtual art section at the sixth edition of the fair, selling artworks from international artists through the new Tokyo Online Art Gallery.  This has its own booth complete with innovative technology allowing the visitor to buy art online as well as read more about the international artists. Among the artworks on show will be original paintings, sculptures, photography, illustrations, jewellery and much more, as well as the chance to commission art directly from the artists.For Curator Gena Sasaki Johns of the award-winning Global Art Agency, this year’s Toyko International Art Fair holds particular significance. “We are hugely excited to be back in Tokyo and to open the doors to one of the city’s biggest and best art fairs,” says Gena. “The quality of artworks is exceptional, with carefully selected artists and galleries from across Europe, the United States, Australia and Japan filling the event with vibrancy and colour.“We can’t wait to experience the buzz of artists and visitors talking, appreciating and of course, buying and selling art. Don’t miss it,” she says.Among the incredible work on display will be pieces from the following featured artists: Menucha Page (Jerusalem), Naun Park (Korea), Vincenzo Coronati & Gentaro Yokoyama (Italy, Japan), Agnes Lui (Hong Kong), Alissa Chapman (New York, Marco Riha (Austria), Pia Kintrup (Germany), Mimi Revencu (Romania), Xana Abreu (Portugal), Johnny Duncan (USA), Nicole Rafiki (DRC).Tokyo International Art Fair opens in style on Friday 8th October with a VIP reception and sneak preview of the artworks on display, plus the first chance to purchase directly from the artist.  Reception from 18.00pm – 21.00pm. Tickets cost ¥ 2500 JPY ($ 20 USD) and can be booked at https://www.tokyoartfair.com/tickets.  The fair continues on Saturday 9th October from 11.00am – 18.00pm and entry is FREE. The Outstanding Artist Awards will take place on Saturday at 17.30pm.Tokyo International Art Fair takes place at Belle Salle Roppongi, Japan, 〒106-0032 Tokyo, Minato, Roppongi, 7 Chome−18−18, 住友不動産六本木通ビル More information is at https://www.tokyoartfair.com/ More

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      Artist Retrospective: Hyuro

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      Tamara Djurovic the Argentine street artist also known as Hyuro made her mark in the form of massive murals that covered the facades of entire buildings, which appeared in various countries all over the globe.Her work on the street had a surrealist element to it. Filled with character the images she created told their own story. Often depicting women, Hyuro also embraced the landscape around her to frame these images. The buildings and environment themselves often playing a key role in the setting of her murals.Valencia, Spain, 2013The last recent years of experience brought me awareness of the responsibility we have with our work on public places and in different parts of the world, understanding art as a tool to bring out the change, to communicate and share ideologies, a different path to build bridges, break down boundaries and generate dialogues that are grown from the bottom. As I feel I contribute with my minimum daily life actions to what I believe, I see my job as another form of contribution. Hyuro said in an interview last 2015.“Morriña” in Carballo, SpainMorriña is a word of the Galician language that describes a feeling of nostalgia that linked to an anthropological point of view brings us closer to the culture as a provider of all that is not a product of nature. In this case the blanket metaphorically represents culture and all those traditions and customs that are lost with the evolution of modern timesTake a look below for a few more beautiful murals by Hyuro.Lioni, Italy, 2016Valencia, Spain, 2017“Recuperem La Punta, aturem la ZAL” in Valencia, Spain, 2018“Education” in Sagunto, Spain, 2018Manchester, UK, 2016This wall is intended to give voice to all the lost innocence, all children who are fighting for their own survival, unable, in front of the eyes of all, to live a childhood as they deserve.Ponte Delgada, Portugal, 2014Scotland, 2018Ostend, Belgium, 2017Hyuro’s  mural above was an exploration of the social condition of women in our modern society, in a somewhat cryptic and unorthodox way.Ravenna, Italy, 2015Visit more murals created by Hyuro in our #Hyuro page. More

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      “COSMOS” by David de la Mano in Uruguay

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      Spanish contemporary artist David de la Mano recenlty worked on a new mural project entitled “COSMOS”. This project was carried out on the three floors of the entrance hall of the Catholic University of Uruguay.University has the same etymological origin as universe and universal that express, among other things, the sense of unity.Universitas was used to designate any association or community directed towards a common goal. Loan (15th century) from the Latin universitas, universitatis “universality, totality”, “company of people, community”, derived from universum (V. universe). In Latin it had the sense of “collectivity”, “guild”.According to S. Giedion” symbolization was born from the need to give perceptible form to the imperceptible. Primitive man searched the stars for symbols on which to project his wishes and fears and feel in the darkness of night under his protective influence. Recent studies suggest more than reasonable connections between our representation of the celestial vault and historical iconography, as well as the idea that “the sky has been a black support on which man has painted his conception of the Universe (…)”.Throughout this long period of time, it is highlighted, “there was an important change in the human mentality and from a magical and religious conception of the firmament, a scientific concept was passed that was reflected in the celestial planispheres, which went from being populated with gods and mythological beings, to be full of figures and schematic lines until reaching the graphic language of computers ”. Paleolithic men were probably the first to trace the shapes of the constellations, inaugurating what would later be called Astronomy, which before being science was religion and magic. (Extracts from the thesis Evolution of the drawing of the constellations by Luz Antequera Congregated).“COSMOS”  immersive project was conceived by the rector of the Universidad Católica Julio Fernández Techera. Artist Andrés Cocco also collaborated with David de la Mano to worked on this project.David de la Mano is known for his large dystopian murals featuring human and animal silhouettes, a minimalist style and his monochromatic use of black. David de la Mano creates distinctive artworks which are symbolic reflections on humankind and reminiscent of dark fairytales. The single anthropomorphic figures of the artist gather together and unite in an eternal and recurring movement; the individuals become the mass and vice versa, and they are driven by their dreams, ambitions, fears, vices, hopes, and internal conflicts.Scroll down below to view more photos of COSMOS. Photo credits: Sol Paperán, Nicolás Pezzino, and David de la Mano More

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      Fifth Edition of Parees Fest in Asturias, North of Spain

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      The fifth edition of contextual muralism festival Parees Fest, promoted by the Municipal Foundation of Culture and which took place between September 13 and 19, has closed a fiveyear period of mural interventions with some thirty large-format works by local, national and international artists.Parees Fest has achieved in these five years that neighbors, organizations and specialists get involved in the joint elaboration of murals that are always tributes to Asturian characters, traditions and events, in a unique mix of art and history. Almost all the neighborhoods of Oviedo, and towns such as Olloniego, Trubia or Tudela Veguín, have walls that are no longer just walls, but memory and people.This year was a really special edition as we could manage to purpose again some activities (last year was under all the restrictions due to Covid-19), and also celebrated proudly this fifth anniversary.Mural by Alba Fabre SacristánThe Catalan artist Alba Fabre Sacristán created an exquisite impressionist mural, where light and movement draw the figure of two “Sidros” captured in full jump.The “Sidros” and the “Mascaradas de Invierno” are Asturian and pagan traditions. Members of these groups (traditionally men, but some women can wear the costume since 2019) are celebrating jumping, dancing, making noise with cowbells, and with improvised sarcastic comedy about what happened in the village during the year. This ritual existed in various places, but almost disappeared with Franco.It’s related to Winter’ solstice, fertility and the beginning of adulthood for young men. On the contrary of Carnival, masks are not to hide, but to show the archetypes of the characters of the comedy (the ugly ones, the handsome ones, animals, natural elements…)Mural by Emily EldridgeThe Primitive “Camino de Santiago”, different from the busiest French Way, starts in Oviedo and takes pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela.In 2015, it was recognized by the UNESCO, along with the “Camino del Norte”, as a “World Humanity Heritage Site”, the highest distinction that a cultural asset can receive. It is a magnificent route that crosses Asturias and Galicia, but is also known for its difficulty, due to the peculiarity of the landscape (all guides recommend an advanced level of hiking).The American artist Emily Eldridge created after some meeting with historians a mural full of colours, representing a “modern” pilgrim, with a skirt and painted nails, walking happily towards her next stage.Mural by Foni ArdaoAmong Parees Fest’ Asturian themes, those with literary content stand out, such as the murals dedicated to Clarín or Dolores Medio. To illustrate the famous story “Montesín” by María Josefa Canellada, a philologist and one of the main Asturian writers of the last century, the Asturian artist Foni Ardao explored the tender relationship between the lost goat and her little caretakers.A well-deserved honour to the first children’s book in Asturian, written in 1979, where we can see the goat Montesín in the arms of the girl, in the lands below l’Escorial, while the boy plays the guitar with his friend the magpie on his shoulder. Surrounded by nature and heated by a fire, the characters convey a lot of peace and sweetness.Foni added to his mural a tribute to his mother, Margarita, who died just over a year ago, represented by the flower bearing her name in the girl’s hair.Mural by Luogo ComuneFor this edition, the Italian Luogo Comune has painted a huge mural dedicated to Oviedo. The inspiration has been provided by citizen testimonies, the personal stories of dozens of people who participated in the campaign “What do you think makes the city of Oviedo special?”.The answers to this question, launched by Parees Fest and the City Council’s Citizen Participation Area, were transferred to the artist, who has composed a work that combines history and nature, the pre-Romanesque past and the proximity of the mountain in its iconography.Check out below for more photo from Parees Fest 2021. More

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      Ardú Street Art Project 2021 in Cork, Ireland

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      Ardú Street Art project arrived in Cork October 2020 injecting a burst of colour, vibrancy, and life into the city in lockdown. Seven of Ireland’s most respected and renowned street artists were invited to create key city-centre locations, in response to a theme inspired by the 1920 Burning of Cork. Find work by Deirdre Breen at Wandesford Quay, Maser at The Kino, James Earley at Henry Street, Peter Martin at Kyle Street, Shane O’Driscoll at Harley Street, Aches at Anglesea Street, and Garreth Joyce at Liberty Street.The Ardú team are delighted to announce their return to Cork city’s streets from today September 27th, until October 11th, with four more large scale murals to brighten up the city centre landscape. Commissioning artwork from home grown talent of the highest level is the main aim of Ardú. The 2021 edition will welcome artists — Friz (Belfast), Shane O’Malley (Galway), Conor Harrington (London), and Asbestos (Dublin).Ardú organisers Shane O’Driscoll, Paul Gleeson and Peter Martin are excited to present the second edition of Ardú to the public, in a safe space where you can observe the murals come to life outdoors. “At a time when we face shared and personal challenges, each of our artist’s murals are a rallying cry to the city – a call to remember that we have been through terrible times before and we rose up. We can do it again.Having made such a positive impact on the city last year, we are excited to be back with another line-up of inspiring artists to transform Cork city’s streets.”Friz is the first artist to kick off this year’s series, she is currently painting at St Finbarr’s Road, Cork. Further details on the Ardú Street Art project, including each mural location, will be announced soon. Keep up to date with the process by following Ardú on social media: Twitter @ArduStreetArt / https://twitter.com/ArduStreetArt | Instagram: @ArduStreetArt | www.arducork.ie More

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      “Sweet Freedom” by Max Sansing in Gothenburg, Sweden

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      This summer Swedish street art organisation Artscape joined the city of Gothenburg to help the city celebrate its 400-year anniversary. American artist Max Sansing created the eighth and finishing mural artwork ’Sweet Freedom’, making his first mark on European soil.Sansing has in the last few years become one of the US most prominent urban artists seamlessly blending his roots in graffiti with classic figurative oil painting aesthetics and strong symbolism. His colourful expression, often featuring portraits of young black people, has now found its way to the neighbourhood of Biskopsgården, placed on the public sports hall at one of the local elementary schools.“To be able to invite Max Sansing feels amazing. He is a politically conscious artist who unites symbolism, realism and expressive colours in a truly inspiring way and it will put Biskopsgården on the international art scene”, says Daniel Wakeham one of Artscape’s founders.Max Sansing received his informal training on the Chicago graffiti scene and has since then graduated from American Institute of Art. Aside from his murals he has had work on display in galleries reaching from Washington to Miami. For ’Sweet Freedom’, Sansing took inspiration both from Swedish nature and the Ghanesian expression Sankofa, translating roughly to connecting to your past for wisdom.The mural was made possible through a generous grant by the Sten A Olsson foundation for culture and science. “The art Artscape produces is free and available to all and through art their aim is to include and inspire. Our hope is that this joint effort will help to create a sense of pride and positive identity in Biskopsgården” comments chairman of the board Madeleine Olsson.“Biskopsgården is an area where hardly any of the events surrounding the 400th anniversary take place. A big and impressive work of art in the neighbourhood can both bring new visitors as well as underline a sense of community in the area. We’re really grateful for the support of Stenastiftelsen making this mural possible”, adds Tor Hedendahl, one of Artscape’s founders.The three storey high work of art was finished in September, being the latest piece in the region’s ever expanding collection of international street art. Before flying back home Sansing praised the Swedish working environment for how free he was to follow his creative intuition. “I didn’t even need to show a sketch and could figure stuff out as I went along. I kind of want to take this mural home with me. It was something special.” More

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      “Mou Mou” by Elian Chali in Rabat, Morocco

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      Argentinian artist Elian Chali recently worked on a mural project entitled “Mou Mou” in Rabat, Morocco. The mural is made of acrylic paint that stretches over 50 x 8 meters of the building’s facade. The project was done in collaboration with Jidar Festival, curated by Salah Malouli.Elian creates vibrant murals that balance a simple aesthetic with carefully calculated designs. He often incorporates anamorphic shapes into his murals, placing squiggles and squares at the corners of buildings, creating the illusion of floating patterns. Clean lines and flat color fields almost seem to be rendered digitally rather than laboriously hand-painted across hundreds or even thousands of square feet.His aesthetics are inspired by the Pop-Art, minimalism, Russian constructivism, and neoplasticism. Through his work, the artist seeks to open a discussion that goes from the social problems to the poetry of the habitat in which he creates.Scroll down below for more photos of the mural and check back with us shortly for more updates from Elian Chali. More