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      A Unique Portfolio of Hilma af Klint’s Botanical Drawings Communes with Nature’s Spiritual Side

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      “Woodrush, Viola, Golden Saxifrage, Field Horsetail, Marsh Marigold, Lesser Celandine, Sedge (Frylet, Violen, Gullpudran, Åkerfräknet, Kabelöken, Svalörten, Starrgräset)” from the portfolio ‘Dornach Nature Studies’ (1919), watercolor, pencil, and ink on paper from a portfolio of 46 drawings, sheet: 19 5/8 × 10 9/16 inches. All images courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art, New York, shared with permission

      A Unique Portfolio of Hilma af Klint’s Botanical Drawings Communes with Nature’s Spiritual Side

      May 21, 2025

      ArtHistoryNature

      Kate Mothes

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      With the Industrial Revolution in full swing at the turn of the 20th century, jobs and opportunities attracted people to burgeoning cities. New technologies were being developed at breakneck speed and discoveries within the natural sciences introduced people to invisible yet potent concepts like radio waves and X-rays.

      During this period of social transformation, philosophical or occult religious movements like Spiritualism and Helena Blavatsky’s Theosophy offered ways to not only connect within a like-minded community but to explore the afterlife—the so-called spirit world—and the very fabric of the universe.

      “Sunflower (Solrosen)” from the portfolio ‘Dornach Nature Studies’ (1919), watercolor, pencil, ink, and metallic paint on paper from a portfolio of 46 drawings, sheet: 19 3/4 × 10 9/16 inches

      For Hilma af Klint (1862–1944), like many who sought refuge and inspiration in these belief systems, a spiritual link to her surroundings united her with the natural world during “a period of massive change…as people from all levels of society were searching for something new to hold on to,” Johan af Klint and Hedvig Ersman wrote about the Swedish artist’s spiritual journey.

      Now on view at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, Hilma af Klint: What Stands Behind the Flowers highlights the institution’s recent acquisition of a phenomenal, 46-leaf portfolio called Nature Studies.

      During the spring and summer of 1919 and 1920, af Klint recorded Sweden’s seasonal flora, from lilies of the valley and sunflowers to violets and cherry blossoms. Beyond traditional botanical studies, the artist incorporates her characteristic abstractions and diagrams, surrounding each rendering with esoteric annotations and geometries.

      “One has to think of the realm of the nature spirits as the realm of thought; these entities hover around us, some like driving winds, others like soft summer breezes,” af Klint once said.

      “Lily of The Valley, Water Avens, Common Milkwort (Liljekonvaljen, Fårkummern, Jungfrulinet)” from the portfolio ‘Dornach Nature Studies’ (1919), watercolor, pencil, ink, and metallic paint on paper from a portfolio of 46 drawings, sheet: 19 5/8 × 10 5/8 inches

      Grids with unique color relationships or energetic spirals accompany renderings of field woodrush or marsh marigold, and tree specimens are paired with dotted checkerboards. “Through these forms, af Klint seeks to reveal, in her words, ‘what stands behind the flowers,’” the museum says, “reflecting her belief that studying nature uncovers truths about the human condition.”

      What Stands Behind the Flowers continues through September 27 and is accompanied by a catalogue that is slated for release on Tuesday. Find your copy on Bookshop, and plan your visit to MoMA on the museum’s website.

      “Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem, Lungwort, Coltsfoot, Nailwort, Pasqueflower (Vårlöken, Lungörten, Hästhoförten, Nagelörten, Backsippan)” from the portfolio ‘Dornach Nature Studies’ (1919), watercolor, pencil, and ink on paper from a portfolio of 46 drawings, sheet: 19 5/8 × 10 9/16 inches

      “Common Lime (Linden)” from the portfolio ‘Dornach Nature Studies’ (1919), watercolor, pencil, ink, and metallic paint on paper from a portfolio of 46 drawings, sheet: 19 5/8 × 10 5/8 inches

      “Tulip (Tulpanen)” from the portfolio ‘Dornach Nature Studies’ (1920), watercolor, pencil, ink, and metallic paint on paper from a portfolio of 46 drawings, sheet: 19 5/8 × 10 5/8 inches

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      Descend into ICA SF’s New Space for Masako Miki’s Otherworldly ‘Midnight March’

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      Installation view of ‘Midnight March’ at ICA SF. Foreground: “Possessed Ancient Monolith Ghost” (2023), wool on XPS foam and walnut wood, 46 x 40 x 32 inches. Photo by Nicholas Lea Bruno. All images courtesy of the artist, ICA SF, and Jessica Silverman Gallery, shared with permission

      Descend into ICA SF’s New Space for Masako Miki’s Otherworldly ‘Midnight March’

      May 20, 2025

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      Huddled together like birds of a feather or standing resolutely on their own, Masako Miki’s vibrant, playful sculptures come to life at the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco. Whether standing on spindly legs, seated on the ground, or suspended from the ceiling, there is a sense of movement and energy in the room, as if each characterful object could walk or roll away at the slightest provocation.

      Miki’s solo exhibition Midnight March is now open at ICA SF’s new exhibition space, The Cube, which activates a former bank building as a site for non-traditional exhibition presentations. The Japanese artist sets her mixed-media pieces, which incorporate materials like wool, bronze, wood, ink, and watercolor, into a darkened, starry interior in which each vibrant, cartoonish individual appears to glow.

      “Umbrella’s Whispers” (2025), wool on XPS foam, walnut wood, 48 1/2 x 14 x 14 inches. Photo by Nicholas Lea Bruno

      Largely abstract in their nebulous forms, felted textures, and colorful patterns, Miki’s sculptures often hint at a life force inside. A single eye peers from a blue shape in “Enchanting Pine Tree Reaching Clouds” or human-like legs extend to the floor in “Umbrella’s Whispers.” We begin to realize that we’re being observed as much as we are observing.

      “Midnight March helps us understand deeper aspects of Miki’s ‘othered’ figures and recognize difference as a positive force, even as we are unsettled by it,” says an exhibition statement.

      The indigo sky throughout the exhibition complements Miki’s two-dimensional works, which she calls Night Parades, welcoming visitors into an experiential context. The artist says, “I hope that my works generate the kind of curiosity and empathy that enables us to come together.”

      Midnight March continues through December 7 in San Francisco, and you can explore more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

      “Midnight March (Blue and Red Violet)” (2025), watercolor on paper, 44 5/8 x 63 1/2 x 2 inches. Photo by Phillip Maisel

      Foreground: “Watcher with Continuous Eyes” (2018), wool on XPS foam, 18 x 56 x 16 inches. Photo by Nicholas Lea Bruno

      “Enchanted Pine Tree Reaching Clouds” (2024), wool on XPS foam and walnut wood, 32 x 23 x 15 1/2 inches. Photo by Phillip Maisel

      “Fox Delivering Messages” (2025), patinated bronze, 15 x 11 1/2 x 5 inches. Edition of 4 plus 2 artist’s proofs. Photo by Nicholas Lea Bruno

      “Ancient Tree Witness” (2023), wool on XPS foam and walnut wood, 76 x 48 x 42 inches. Photo by Steve Ferrera

      “Awa-dancing Cat Leading the Crowds” (2025), patinated bronze, 15 1/2 x 13 x 7 inches. Edition of 4 plus 2 artist’s proofs. Photo by Nicholas Lea Bruno

      “Midnight March (Blue and Deep Gray)” (2025), watercolor on paper, 44 5/8 x 63 1/2 x 2 inches. Photo by Phillip Maisel

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    • 113 Shares129 Views

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      Ubiquitous Objects Transform into Ambient Soundscapes in Zimoun’s Installations

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      All images courtesy of Zimoun, shared with permission

      Ubiquitous Objects Transform into Ambient Soundscapes in Zimoun’s Installations

      May 19, 2025

      Art

      Grace Ebert

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      Objects often regarded as fixtures of modern life—cardboard boxes, glass cups, and plastic jugs, to name a few—become generative materials in the soundscapes of Swiss artist Zimoun (previously). Connected to small, direct-current motors, wires and strings strung across installations of these unassuming items rattle and twirl to create continuous, ambient noise.

      Zimoun frequently references the tension between chaos and order in his works, particularly as it relates to the relationship between the individual elements and the larger composition. For a recent project for Rewire in The Hague, for example, the artist tethered piano strings to 24 polyethylene tanks in one room and to 36 water containers in another.

      While the basic construction was the same, the way the vibrating wires interacted with the vessels affected their timbre. “Each of the spaces sounds distinctly different, even though the same principle was applied throughout. Both deep, bass-like sounds and very varied, constantly changing overtones can emerge,” the artist says.

      Exploring the possibilities of such simple materials is at the core of many of Zimoun’s works, as he shifts our perspective on their uses and functionality. Appearing animate, each object becomes an instrument in its own right, as the kinetic, often frenetic, movement of the machines transforms a wood-slatted door or metal barrel into a sonic apparatus.

      It’s worth poking around Zimoun’s Vimeo to explore the breadth of the installations and their subtly varied sounds. The artist has several exhibitions planned for later this year and throughout 2026, so follow the latest on Instagram.

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    • 138 Shares169 Views

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      ‘Wonder Women’ Celebrates the Dazzling Figurative Work of Asian Diasporic Artists

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      Dominique Fung, “Bone Holding Fan” (2021). All images courtesy of the artists and Rizzoli, shared with permission

      ‘Wonder Women’ Celebrates the Dazzling Figurative Work of Asian Diasporic Artists

      May 15, 2025

      ArtBooksSocial Issues

      Kate Mothes

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      In February 2020, curator and gallery director Kathy Huang met artist Dominique Fung—a month before the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down. Their conversations, which continued throughout quarantine, served as an impetus for what would become Huang’s Wonder Women exhibitions at Jeffrey Deitch.

      During their chats, Huang and Fung lamented “the uptick in violence against Asian American communities, particularly against women and the elderly,” Huang says in the introduction to her forthcoming book, Wonder Women: Art of the Asian Diaspora.

      Mai Ta, “mirror image” (2022)

      The two also found it difficult to pinpoint when the last major exhibition had been staged that thoughtfully presented Asian artists, and neither could think of an instance where women and nonbinary artists had been the focus. Both of Huang’s exhibitions and her new book are the fruit of that desire to highlight the remarkable spectrum of figurative work being produced within the Asian diasporic community today.

      A response to racism against Asians exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Huang conceived of the shows that went on view in 2022 in New York and Los Angeles as a means to highlight the incredible, groundbreaking work made especially by women and nonbinary artists.

      Forthcoming from Rizzoli, Wonder Women shares a similar title to a poem by Genny Lim, which follows experiences of Asian women through the lens of a narrator who observes their everyday routines and considers how their lives relate to hers.

      Huang expands on this view in her approach to showcasing the work of forty artists, each represented through at least four pieces and a personal statement. These artists “subvert stereotypes and assert their identities in places where they have historically been marginalized,” Rizzoli says.

      Sally J. Han, “At Lupe’s” (2022)

      Artists like Sasha Gordon or Nadia Waheed explore identity through sometimes fantastical self-portraiture, while others highlight family, community, and colonial or patriarchal systems in the West. Some address Asian myths, legends, and visual culture, like Fung’s exploration of antique objects or Shyama Golden’s otherworldly scenes in which hybrid human-animals interact with nature or urban spaces.

      Wonder Women will be released on May 20. Order your copy from the Colossal Shop.

      Shyama Golden, “The Passage” (2022)

      Chelsea Ryoko Wong, “It’s Mah Jong Time!” (2022)

      Nadia Waheed, “Bolides/ 852” (2022)

      Cover featuring a painting by Sasha Gordon

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    • 138 Shares159 Views

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      Esaí Alfredo’s Oil Paintings Merge Mysterious Narratives with ‘Miami Vice’ Noir

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      “Near the Military Base” (2025), oil on canvas, 72 x 96 feet. All images courtesy of the artist and Spinello Projects, shared with permission

      Esaí Alfredo’s Oil Paintings Merge Mysterious Narratives with ‘Miami Vice’ Noir

      May 15, 2025

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      In an iconic 1979 episode of Saturday Night Live, Steve Martin and Bill Murray shuffle onstage dressed like tourists. Peering out beyond the camera—and thus behind us—they repeatedly ask, “What the hell is that?” Stoking our curiosity and never divulging what “that” really is, yet preventing us from ever seeing it either, the answer is left entirely to our imaginations. Beyond the duo’s characteristic absurdity, we’re enticed to consider the endless possibilities of the unknown, just out of frame.

      For Miami-based artist Esaí Alfredo, the confines of the cinematic screen and a sense of wonder play central roles in large-scale, enigmatic oil paintings. Male figures stand facing the distant horizon, observing dark plumes of smoke or, in some cases, events only they can see.

      “The Wait” (2025), oil on canvas, 50 x 72 inches

      Alfredo draws inspiration for his palette from Miami Vice, specifically the rich pastels and glowing contrasts evocative of the show’s stylized, 1980s New Wave aesthetics. Bright pink and teal complement the deep blacks of nighttime.

      “I allow myself to play with colors and lighting situations that appear surreal or impossible,” he tells Colossal, sharing that the choice of hues serve as tools for telling stories. He adds, “My biggest influences in terms of color have been old movies, science fiction, theater, and the cinematography of films by Steven Spielberg and Alfred Hitchcock.”

      Alfredo also likens his paintings to screenshots or freeze frames, as if plucked from an enigmatic, longer narrative. His sketchbook contains countless renderings, including drawings of settings and characters akin to storyboards for a movie.

      Once he translates a basic sketch into a color study, Alfredo translates the idea to photographic compositions involving real people and various objects. “Once I have all my reference photos ready, I compose an image on my iPad to see how the painting will turn out. The rest is painting,” he says, leaving enough room for the inevitable improvisation.

      “La Playa Lucia” (2025), oil on canvas, 10 x 20 inches

      A suite of new paintings titled STARLESS that Alfredo recently exhibited with Spinello Projects at EXPO CHICAGO are “snapshots of a larger story I’m still uncovering,” he says. Otherworldly magentas and teals envelop figures in a variety of natural landscapes, beneath a sky devoid of celestial objects. Instead, mysterious objects fall from above, and the characters react to the phenomena with wonder, fear, and confusion. “I love capturing those moments when we feel powerless and can only observe for a moment before taking action,” he says.

      Find more on Alfredo’s website and Instagram.

      “The Theme Park” (2025), oil on canvas, 72 x 96 inches

      “Moon” (2025), oil on canvas, 24 x 24 inches

      “The Everglades” (2025), oil on canvas, 72 x 96 inches

      “Antonio” (2025), oil on canvas, 40 x 60 inches

      Detail of “Near the Military Base”

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    • 150 Shares169 Views

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      Floral Quilted Portraits by Maria A. Guzmán Capron Cultivate Care and Love

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      Detail of “Otra Vez.” All images courtesy of Lyles & King, shared with permission

      Floral Quilted Portraits by Maria A. Guzmán Capron Cultivate Care and Love

      May 14, 2025

      Art

      Grace Ebert

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      For thousands of years, flowers have been a rich source of symbolism. Dating back to the Ottomans, floriology, or the language of flowers, blossomed in the Victorian era when a bouquet functioned as a nonverbal code. The delicate sweetpea, for example, might have been given as a thank you to a particularly generous host, while buttercups would tell the recipient that the sender thought them childish and immature.

      Maria A. Guzmán Capron (previously) references the timeless expressions of flowers for Solo Pienso en Volver a Verte, which opens this week at Lyles & King. Translating to “I only think about seeing you again,” the solo exhibition comprises the artist’s signature textile portraits of opulently patterned fabrics in a layered patchwork. Soft and plump with batting, the quilted characters are each unique, although Capron sometimes uses the same secondhand material on several pieces.

      “Déjame Llevarte”

      Encircled in hand-dyed fabrics, the figures in this body of work are often doubled or conjoined, as in the embracing women of “Otra Vez” or the two-faced subject of “Echa de Pedacitos.” Love, warmth, and protection feature prominently, as hands grasp for one another or emerge as a three-dimensional gesture. Capron envisions these layered, hybrid forms as a way to visualize the various identities, experiences, and memories within all of us.

      The artist also stitches and screenprints a wide array of flowers on faces, garments, and throughout the lush surroundings. Sometimes abstract and often indeterminate, the blooms share stories and messages of desire that might be unspeakable or better communicated through a symbol of affection. Tending to love in all of its forms is the thread that runs through each work, as Capron welcomes us into a world in which compassion and care are the most beautiful gifts.

      Solo Pienso en Volver a Verte runs through June 21 in New York. Find more from Capron on Instagram.

      “Otra Vez”

      “Echa de Pedacitos”

      “Para Que Me Mires”

      “Te Dejé Quererme”

      Detail of “Y Comencé”

      “También Allí”

      “Algo Escondido”

      Detail of “Otra Vez”

      “Y Comencé”

      Detail of “Te Dejé Quererme”

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    • 138 Shares189 Views

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      Recycled Materials Draw Attention to Ocean Plastics in Ana Brecevic’s Assemblages

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      All images courtesy of Ana Brecevic, shared with permission

      Recycled Materials Draw Attention to Ocean Plastics in Ana Brecevic’s Assemblages

      May 14, 2025

      ArtClimateNature

      Kate Mothes

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      As the climate crisis worsens around the globe, its effects are no more apparent than in our oceans and the communities that rely on them. Delicate coral reefs, for example, face stresses from not only rising sea temperatures but the residue of human presence—plastics, castoff fishing equipment, and other waste.

      Warm water is typically the culprit in coral bleaching events, characterized by algae leaving the organisms and turning them a ghostly white. The algae provides a food source and helps to protect the coral from disease, but when it goes, the host is left much more vulnerable. For Ana Brecevic (previously), this phenomenon inspires work that draws attention to this urgent issue.

      Her recent series, Plasticum, reflects on the ever-growing problem of plastic pollution in the earth’s oceans while contrasting the beauty of marine ecosystems with their vulnerability to human impact. The artist meticulously cuts silhouettes of bleached corals and gorgonians—also known as sea fans—and ornaments them with baubles reminiscent of debris.

      “I live along the Atlantic coast, where I collect marine waste that inspires and feeds into this body of work,” Brecevic says. “Everything is made from recycled paper, upcycled fabrics, and natural dyes.”

      The artist describes Plasticum as “a quiet echo of a reality slowly settling in,” where microplastics and waste continually threaten underwater habitats and biodiversity. She says, “Through this work, I hope to spark questions about our connection to living ecosystems and what we choose to see—or overlook.”

      Find more on Brecevic’s website and Instagram.

      Photo by Marion Saupin

      Photo by Marion Saupin

      Photo by Marion Saupin

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    • 150 Shares189 Views

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      Paola Grizi Adds New Meaning to ‘Literary Figures’ in Emotive Bronze Sculptures

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      “Another Place,” Casart Edition, bronze, 32 x 30 x 35 centimeters

      Paola Grizi Adds New Meaning to ‘Literary Figures’ in Emotive Bronze Sculptures

      May 14, 2025

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      In the emotional bronze and terracotta sculptures of Paola Grizi (previously), faces and hands merge with pages of books and manuscripts. Handwriting slides off the leaves onto skin and reliefs of eyes, noses, and mouths peer outward like knowledge and stories personified. Many of her works are scaled to sit on interior surfaces, while others, like “Inner Motion” or “Looking Ahead” take on monumental proportions.

      Grizi currently has work permanently on view at Marciano Contemporary in Paris, Bel Air Fine Art in Luxembourg, and Gallery Van Dun in Oisterwijk, The Netherlands. This summer, pieces will also be included in a presentation at Gallery Maner in Port-Aven, France. See more on the artist’s website.

      “Looking Ahead,” Casart Edition, bronze, 120 x 110 x 20 centimeters

      “Background,” Casart Edition, bronze, 32 x 12 x 15 centimeters

      “Inner Motion,” Casart Edition, bronze

      “Kiss,” Casart Edition, bronze, 35 x 37 x 20 centimeters

      “Boundless,” terracotta

      “Composition,” Casart Edition, bronze, 30 x 35 x 25 centimeters

      “Multiple Lectures,” Casart Edition, bronze, 35 x 30 x 20 centimeters

      Work in progress in the artist’s outdoor studio

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