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    Chinese Herbs Suspended in Resin Usher in Healing in Wen Liu’s Skeletal Sculptures

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    “Ouroflora” (2025),
    prescribed herbal medicine, epoxy clay, resin, acrylic, varnish, 34 x 46 x 1 1/2 inches. All images courtesy of Wen Liu, shared with permission

    Chinese Herbs Suspended in Resin Usher in Healing in Wen Liu’s Skeletal Sculptures

    June 3, 2025

    Art

    Grace Ebert

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    “In traditional Chinese medicine, treatments are prescribed through dialogue—how well one can communicate internal pain becomes a condition for healing,” says Wen Liu. Particularly difficult in moments of agony and discomfort, accurately describing our bodily sensations is essential for receiving treatment, and yet, as Liu points out, it’s also an act of translation that can feel nearly impossible while suffering and speaking a second or third language.

    The Shanghai-born artist, who is now based in Brooklyn, draws on this reality for her sculptural works that suspend dried herbs in tinted resin. Liu began incorporating these natural prescriptions into her practice when her father died “as a way to metabolize grief and explore healing through cultural connection,” she adds.

    “In Light, Where Edges Yield” (2025), prescribed herbal medicine, epoxy clay, resin, acrylic, varnish, stainless steel, 65 x 65 x 3 1/2 inches

    Painted in pale purples and greens or silver, the molded-clay structures are architectural and skeletal, while the herbal portions evoke both stained-glass windows often seen in churches and cathedrals and vulnerable membranes of the body. Many works are affixed to the wall, although the human-sized “In Light, Where Edges Yield” stands freely on four legs with a spinal column at its center.

    Liu is intrigued by the way light filters through these surfaces and appears on the other side as a sacred, distorted beam of color. “This refracted illumination offers a sensory language beyond speech, mirroring the project’s exploration of emotions like grief, the processes of healing, and the inadequacy of language in capturing lived experience,” she adds.

    Continually mixing Eastern and Western traditions, Liu instills a sense of harmony and balance in her works. She gravitates toward symmetry and presents her sculptures almost like a Rorschach test, inviting viewers into a delicate dialogue of healing.

    Antidote is on view through June 21 at Gaa Gallery in New York. Liu is currently working toward an exhibition opening this month at Tang Contemporary Art Beijing, and you can explore more on her website and Instagram. (via Young Space)

    “Inarticulate Trace No1.” (2023), prescribed herbal medicine, epoxy clay, resin, paint, UV resistant varnish, 37 x 32 x 1.5 inches

    “Silhouette of a Dose” (2022), prescribed herbal medicine, epoxy clay, resin, paint, UV resistant varnish, 43 x 41 x 1.5 inches

    Detail of “Silhouette of a Dose” (2022), prescribed herbal medicine, epoxy clay, resin, paint, UV resistant varnish, 43 x 41 x 1.5 inches

    Detail of “In Light, Where Edges Yield” (2025), prescribed herbal medicine, epoxy clay, resin, acrylic, varnish, stainless steel, 65 x 65 x 3 1/2 inches

    “Inarticulate Trace No2.” (2024), prescribed herbal medicine, epoxy clay, resin, paint, UV resistant varnish, 40 x 43 x 1.5 inches

    “Inarticulate Trace No3.” (2024), prescribed herbal medicine, epoxy clay, resin, paint, UV resistant varnish, 43.5 x 40.5 x 1.5 inches

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      in Art

      In a Retrofitted School Bus at the U.S.-Mexico Border, Guadalupe Maravilla Heals Through Vibrations

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      All images from the Art21 “New York Close Up” film, “Guadalupe Maravilla’s ‘Mariposa Relámpago,’” © Art21, shared with permission

      In a Retrofitted School Bus at the U.S.-Mexico Border, Guadalupe Maravilla Heals Through Vibrations

      February 26, 2025

      ArtFilm

      Grace Ebert

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      Guadalupe Maravilla’s multi-disciplinary practice is rooted in a simple premise: sound is medicine.

      The artist is known for works that merge sculpture, performance, instruments, and healing, one such project being the elaborately retrofitted school bus titled “Mariposa Relámpago.” Part of Maravilla’s Disease Throwers series, the large-scale coach is devoid of bench seats and ubiquitous yellow paint and instead features an open cab lined with chrome panels. More than 700 found objects adorn its body, from cutlery and a worn pair of sandals to large gongs. More

    • 113 Shares189 Views

      in Art

      Guadalupe Maravilla’s Volcanic Rock Sculptures Invoke Resilience and Regeneration

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      “Dream Backpack 1” (2023), volcanic rock and objects collected from a ritual of
      retracing the artist’s original migration route, 16 1/4 x 12 1/4 x 4 1/2 inches. All photos by JSP Art Photography, courtesy of Guadalupe Maravilla and P·P·O·W, shared with permission

      Guadalupe Maravilla’s Volcanic Rock Sculptures Invoke Resilience and Regeneration

      December 13, 2024

      Art

      Grace Ebert

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      With the region’s smallest geographic footprint, El Salvador boasts the second-highest number of volcanos in Central America. The country is located on the Ring of Fire, a tectonic band that encircles the Pacific Ocean and houses about two-thirds of all volcanos worldwide. Given its eruptive landscape, much of the soil is rich in ash.

      In a series of sculptures, Guadalupe Maravilla (previously) draws on his home country as he sculpts backpacks and enlarged hands from volcanic rock. The works reference the artist’s migration from civil war-era El Salvador as an unaccompanied minor, a traumatic journey that remains a central theme in his practice.

      “Luz y Fuerza” (2024), oil on volcanic rock, 14 x 14 x 4 inches

      A trio of pieces, titled Dream Backpacks, refers to “how we immigrate to the U.S. by land and carry everything we own in a backpack in search of the American Dream,” Maravilla writes in a statement. Embellished with pink, purple, and blue paints, the poignant works display a variety of charms—feathers, a small cat figure, and metal details like a spigot—the artist collected while retracing his childhood route.

      Other works take the form of a burly hand cradling smooth shapes featuring pieces redolent of retablos, small devotional paintings often invoking protection during times of hardship. Lightning bolts, stars, and snakes recur throughout the compositions, along with references to the artist’s colon cancer diagnosis, which he has long linked to the trauma he suffered as a child.

      December 12 is special to Maravilla and titles one recent work featuring linked wishbones, crystals, and the children’s rhyme “Sana, sana, colita de rana,” which translates to “heal, heal, little frog’s tail.” As Maravilla shares on Instagram, “On 12/12/12 I found out I had cancer. 12/12/13 I overcame cancer. Today, I am starting a new chapter 12/12/24 with a special meditation.” Similarly, a cake with a “0” candle appears in “Luz y Fuerza,” which resembles a pastry the artist once used to celebrate both his birthday and what he considers his rebirth as cancer-free.

      Citing resilience amid struggle, Maravilla’s sculptures call on healing and regeneration. Volcanic ash, after all, is one of the most potent natural fertilizers and a key factor in sparking new growth.

      Maravilla is represented by P·P·O·W Gallery in New York, where you can find more of his work.

      “12/12/24” (2024), oil on volcanic rock, 13 3/8 x 13 3/8 x 4 1/8 inches

      “Dream Backpack 3” (2023), volcanic rock and objects collected from a ritual ofretracing the artist’s original migration route, 16 1/4 x 12 x 4 3/4 inches

      “Self Love” (2024), oil on volcanic rock, 13 3/8 x 13 3/4 x 4 7/8 inches

      “Heal Seven Years Back” (2024), oil on volcanic rock, 13 3/8 x 13 3/4 x 5 1/2 inches

      “Dream Backpack 2” (2023), volcanic rock and objects collected from a ritual of retracing the artist’s original migration route, 16 1/2 x 12 1/4 x 4 1/4 inches

      “Sana 7 Años Atras” (2024), oil on volcanic rock, 14 1/8 x 14 x 4 3/4 inches

      “Si No Sanas Hoy Sanarás Mañana” (2024), oil on volcanic rock, 13 3/8 x 14 1/8 x 4 3/8 inches

      “Sana Sana Colita de Rana” (2024), oil on volcanic rock, 14 1/8 x 13 3/4 x 4 7/8 inches

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    • 188 Shares139 Views

      in Art

      Through Totemic Sculptures and Sound Art, Guadalupe Maravilla Explores the Therapeutic Power of Indigenous Ritual

      by

      
      Art
      Documentary
      Music

      #health
      #installation
      #performance art
      #sculpture
      #sound
      #video

      August 11, 2021
      Grace Ebert

      
      In 1984, eight-year-old Guadalupe Maravilla left his family and joined a group of other children fleeing their homes in El Salvador. The Central American country was in the midst of a brutal civil war, a profoundly traumatic experience that’s left an indelible impact on the artist and one that guides his broad, multi-disciplinary practice to this day.
      Now based in Brooklyn, Maravilla works across painting, sculpture, and sound-based performances all veiled with autobiography, whether informed by the Mayan architecture and stone totems that surrounded him as a child or his cancer diagnosis as a young adult. His pieces are predominately therapeutic and rooted in Indigenous ritual and mythology, recurring themes the team at Art21 explores in a new documentary.

      “Guadalupe Maravilla & the Sound of Healing” follows the artist as he prepares for his solo exhibition on view through September 6 at Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City. Titled Planeta Abuelx, or Grandparent Planet—Maravilla expands on the often-used idea of Mother Nature to broaden its scope—the outdoor show is comprised of the artist’s trademark Disease Throwers, towering headdresses and shrines made of recycled aluminum. Allusions to Central American culture bolster the monumental works, with imprints of corn cobs, wooden toys, and other found objects planted throughout.
      Covering the surrounding grass are chalky white markings, a signature component of the artist’s practice that delineate every space where he installs a piece. The abstract patterns evoke Tripa Chuca, one of Maravilla’s favorite childhood games that involves players drawing lines between corresponding numbers to create new intertwined motifs.

      In Planeta Abuelx, Maravilla pairs his visual works with meditative performances that are based on the sound baths he used for pain management while undergoing chemotherapy. These healing therapies are designed to reduce anxiety and tension that often trigger stress-induced diseases and date back to ancient Tibetan traditions. Using gongs and glass vessels, the palliative remedy has been the foundation of workshops the artist hosts for undocumented immigrants and others dealing with cancer that more deeply connect his totemic artworks to the viewers.
      “Having a community that has gone through similar experiences can be really empowering,” he says. “Making these elaborate Disease Throwers is not just about telling a story from my past, but it’s also about how this healing ritual can continue in the future, long after I’m gone.”
      If you’re in New York, Maravilla is hosting a sound bath to mark the close of Planeta Abuelx on September 4, and you can see more of his multivalent projects on Instagram. For a larger archive of documentaries exploring the lives and work of today’s most impactful artists, like this visit to Wangechi Mutu’s Nairobi studio, check out Art21’s site.

      #health
      #installation
      #performance art
      #sculpture
      #sound
      #video

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    • 188 Shares129 Views

      in Art

      Sentrock Captures the Sights of Chicago’s Pilsen Neighborhood in a New Series About Mental Health

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      Art
      Illustration

      #birds
      #Chicago
      #health

      June 3, 2021
      Grace Ebert

      All images © Sentrock, shared with permission
      In honor of Mental Health Month this May, Chicago artist Joseph Perez, who works as Sentrock, created an illustrated series celebrating the people and scenes around his studio in the city’s Pilsen neighborhood. “I started doing it just for myself, to take an hour or two and share my thoughts or reflections for that day or the day prior,” he tells Colossal.
      Lively, expressive, and deeply empathetic, the resulting illustrations draw on Sentrock’s background as a graffiti artist and his connection to those around him. They tell a story about the neighborhood that’s historically been rich with Latinx culture and portray the sights and experiences shared by the community through a distinctly personal lens. The artist explains:
      I started allowing myself to reflect on the past, present, the current situations I found myself in. I allowed myself to reflect on my everyday life, whether boring, exciting, or just my imagination of the moment. I started to capture the people outside my studio, whether friends or strangers. My purpose for this was to initiate a connection with the people around me, the community.
      Sentrock began with reference photos of friends, family, and community members before reinterpreting them in bright, vivid renditions of his signature bird character. Usually depicted as a beaked mask, the recurring image is Sentrock’s analogy “to humanity: a person who is able to find or escape to their freedom by placing them in a different reality.” In the new works, the character travels from person to person, sometimes worn by kids skateboarding down 18th Street and others by the artist himself, like in the moving portrait of him and his mother.
      Head to Instagram to see the full series and original images, and if you’re in Chicago, keep an eye out for the designs, which Sentrock plans to wheat paste around the city.

      Portrait of the artist with his mother

      Self-portrait

      #birds
      #Chicago
      #health

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    • 213 Shares149 Views

      in Art

      150,000 Hearts Representing Lives Lost to Coronavirus in the UK Line the COVID Memorial Wall in London

      by

      
      Art
      History
      Photography

      #COVID-19
      #health
      #heart
      #memorial
      #public art

      April 12, 2021
      Grace Ebert

      All photos © Henri Calderon for Colossal
      Nearly 500 meters of small, red hearts will soon cover an expanse of concrete facing the River Thames in London. Now dubbed the National COVID Memorial Wall, the poignant display publicly commemorates the 150,000 lives lost to the coronavirus pandemic in the United Kingdom so far. Each heart represents one victim, with short messages of grief, love, and remembrance scribed by loved ones in their centers. It takes about ten minutes to walk by the entirety of the project, which serves as a staggering reminder of the virus’s devastation.
      Coordinated by COVID-19 Bereaved Families For Justice, the two-meter-high wall is situated between the Westminster and Lambeth bridges, opposite the Houses of Parliament. According to The Guardian, Matt Fowler helms the ongoing project, which he began a few weeks ago by painting 15,000 hearts on the facade. His father died from the virus last April. “When you see all the hearts and think what each one represents, it’s absolutely frightening,” Fowler says.
      Organizers still are raising money for supplies to complete all 150,000 hearts—although official government statistics currently reflect 149,000 deaths, which is the largest loss in Europe—that volunteers will continue to paint to account for all victims. Talks are also in the works about preserving the memorial to ensure that it’s a permanent fixture in London.
      This past weekend, photographer Henri Calderon captured images for Colossal that document the memorial’s progress, which you can see below.

      #COVID-19
      #health
      #heart
      #memorial
      #public art

      Do 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!

       
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    • 150 Shares169 Views

      in Art

      Artist-Designed Face Masks by Threadless Give Medical Supplies to Communities in Need

      by

      A recent launch by Threadless is an impressive, multifaceted initiative to combat COVID-19 that’s a win for consumers trying to stay safe, health-care workers on the front lines, and artists and creatives who’ve lost income. The Chicago-based eCommerce company announced this week that it would release artist-designed face masks, with a portion of proceeds going […] More