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    Masks and Make-Believe: Children Traverse ‘Paper Stories’ in José Luis Ceña’s Paintings

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    “Little Red Riding Hood” (2024), oil on linen, 71 x 71 inches. All images courtesy of José Luis Ceña, shared with permission

    Masks and Make-Believe: Children Traverse ‘Paper Stories’ in José Luis Ceña’s Paintings

    November 26, 2024

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    Elaborate, imaginary worlds open up around the youthful characters in José Luis Ceña’s oil paintings. Brushy, splattered, and sometimes fuzzy around the edges, his protagonists don homemade costumes and traipse through forts made from sheets and boxes.

    “I believe that addressing the topic of children more deeply in my paintings came about as a result of having my two children,” the artist tells Colossal. “Living with children makes you realize issues you thought were forgotten.”

    “Pig Mask” (2024), oil on canvas, 40 x 40 inches

    Ceña focuses on play to illuminate the contrast between the innocence of youth and what he describes as “the decay of the world we are leaving behind.”

    In his most recent series, Paper Stories, kids wear masks and traverse a make-believe, cardboard world. Made of quotidian materials, the scenes transform into fantastical realms filled with animals, dinosaurs, and exciting mysteries.

    The psychology of costumes and concealment take on a metaphorical role in Ceña’s paintings, reflecting how people conform to the actualities of adulthood and society. “We wear (these masks) every day, trying to project an image of ourselves that, in most cases, doesn’t align with the reality we live,” the artist says. “This is especially evident in our use of social media.”

    Vibrant landscapes are often devoid of depth, as if cut from paper and layered to form a stage-like set. These flattened scenes “suggest that these worlds are destined to dissolve, to fold in on themselves,” Ceña says, adding that “solitude is a silent protagonist.”

    The work shown here was recently on view with Galerie LeRoyer, and you can explore more of Ceña’s work on Instagram.

    “Cardboardzoic” (2024), oil on canvas, 31 1/2 x 31 1/2 inches

    “Oasis” (2024), Oil on canvas, 31 1/2 x 31 1/2 inches

    “The Bird” (2024), oil on canvas, 31 1/2 x 31 1/2 inches

    “Treasure Box” (2024), oil on canvas, 24 x 24 inches

    “The Bird II” (2024), oil on canvas, 31 1/2 x 31 1/2 inches

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      in Art

      Mulyana Transforms Plastic Yarn and Netting into Arresting Ocean Textures

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      Photo by Ign Raditya Bramantya. All images courtesy of Mulyana and Sapar Contemporary, shared with permission

      Mulyana Transforms Plastic Yarn and Netting into Arresting Ocean Textures

      October 16, 2024

      ArtClimatePhotography

      Kate Mothes

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      From thousands of plastic bags, nets, and hanks of yarn, Indonesian artist Mulyana (previously) illuminates the fragility of marine ecosystems.

      In his solo exhibition Remembering Our Collective Future at Sapar Contemporary, the artist has incorporated recyclable materials and distilled the palette to white, evoking a symbol of purity and drawing attention to the consequences of human impact on our oceans, such as coral bleaching.

      “Betty 21” (2024), plastic yarn, plastic net, and cable wire, 82 5/8 x 76 3/4 x 13 3/4 inches

      Curated by John Silvis, the show invites viewers to reflect on the effects of the climate crisis and the critical importance of environmental preservation. Photographs by Ign Raditya Bramantya highlight a living, breathing embodiment of coral as it traverses the city streets, bringing the ocean to daily life.

      Mulyana painstakingly twists, knots, and wraps plastic netting, cable wire, and plastic yarn into sculptures and wall hangings resembling coral and cartoonish sea creatures.

      Running concurrently at the Charles B. Wang Center at SUNY Stony Brook, an exhibition of the artist’s vibrant yarn works showcases costumes and characters inspired by marine life. Yarnscapes: Mulyana’s Environmental Tapestries presents a playful counterpoint to the monochrome pieces, nevertheless urging us to remember and evaluate our relationship to our oceans.

      Remembering Our Collective Future runs from October 22 to November 20 in New York City, coinciding with Yarnscapes in Stony Brook through December 10. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

      Photo by Ign Raditya Bramantya

      Photo by Ign Raditya Bramantya

      Detail of “Betty 25” (2024), plastic yarn, plastic net, and cable wire, 74 3/4 x 78 3/4 x 13 3/4 inches

      “Betty 28” (2024), plastic yarn, plastic net, and cable wire, 86 5/8 x 86 5/8 x 13 3/4 inches

      Photo by Ign Raditya Bramantya

      Detail of “Betty 26” (2024), plastic yarn, plastic net, and cable wire, 65 x 51 1/8 x 13 3/4 inches

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    • 163 Shares139 Views

      in Art

      Knit Coral Suits and Vibrant Marine Creatures Spring From Mulyana’s Whimsical Yarn-Based Ecosystems

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      Art
      Craft
      #coral
      #costumes
      #crochet
      #installation
      #knitting
      #octopusJanuary 26, 2022Grace EbertAll images © Mulyana, courtesy of Sapar Contemporary, shared with permissionIn Mulyana’s Fragile Ecologies, two figures cloaked in coral and algae tower over beds of fiber-based sea creatures. The Indonesian artist continues his playful and eccentric approach to marine life conservation in his solo show on view through March 4 at Sapar Contemporary, which brings some of his life-sized costumes and an array of woolen specimens to the gallery. Each piece is knit or crocheted with recycled, brightly colored yarn, which the artist fashions into sprawling ecosystems and immersive installations that dangle from the ceiling.Mulyana puts a fantastic twist on the natural lifeforms, especially when crafting his signature Mogus character: most recently, the reimagined octopus is outfitted with a mustache in leopard print, innumerable eyes all over its body, and polka-dotted horns. Lighthearted in presentation, the works are rooted in more urgent issues like the effects of the climate crisis, isolation, and how we collectively configure identities that are always evolving. A statement about Fragile Ecologies says:On a macro level, Mulyana’s profound concern for the eroding environment and our collective lack of care for the natural world parallels the importance of self-care on a micro level. His message encourages a holistic path to self-preservation amidst a chaotic and uncertain post-pandemic world. While Mulyana does not overtly reference gender and sexuality in his intricate installations, the diversity of his colorful environments and spectacular costumes allude to the fluidity of human identity.For more of Mulyana’s underwater knits and costumes, head to his site and Instagram.
      #coral
      #costumes
      #crochet
      #installation
      #knitting
      #octopusDo stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member and support independent arts publishing. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, help support our interview series, gain access to partner discounts, and much more. Join now! Share this story  More