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    Tens of Thousands of Individual Dots Bring Ornamental Rugs to Life in Antonio Santín’s Paintings

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    “Momo” (2024), oil on canvas, 63 x 86 5/8 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and Marc Straus Gallery, New York

    Tens of Thousands of Individual Dots Bring Ornamental Rugs to Life in Antonio Santín’s Paintings

    January 9, 2025

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    From grid-like woven patterns to intertwined strands of fringe, Antonio Santín’s hyperrealistic oil paintings (previously) look incredibly similar to the ornamental carpets they’re modeled on. By studying real rugs and the way they scrunch, fold, and interact with light, he transfers these qualities to canvas. The overall designs, however, are a product of the artist’s imagination.

    Santín trained as a sculptor, and his eye for shapes and the power of contrast lent itself to paintings with tactile textures and a dimensionally illusory quality. “In the past two years, as his technical skills allowed for far more detail than is found on a sewn carpet, he began to invent the entire image,” says Marc Straus, who is presenting Santín’s work in the artist’s seventh solo show with the gallery.

    Detail of “Puente de plata”

    The artist continues to employ a precisely calibrated pneumatic compressor that allows him to apply oil pigments millimeters at a time. Tens of thousands of individual dots are arranged to create a consistent rhythm across the entire surface.

    New paintings in Puente de plata, or “silver bridge,” celebrate the relationship between abstraction and pure pattern, reveling in vibrant color and intricacy in works that are more personal. The show opens tomorrow and continues through March 1 in New York. Explore more on the gallery’s website and Santín’s Instagram.

    “Puente de plata” (2024), oil on canas, 63 x 85 5/8 inches

    “Tafalla” (2023), oil on canvas, 23 5/8 x 19 3/4 inches

    “Victoria” (2024), oil on canvas, 94 1/2 x 78 3/4 inches

    Detail of “Victoria”

    Detail of “Victoria”

    “Carambola” (2024), oil on canvas, 70 7/8 x 78 3/4 inches

    “Aldealengua” (2024), oil on canvas, 25 3/8 x 21 1/2 x 2 inches (framed)

    Detail of “Aldealengua”

    “Puente de plata” (2024), oil on canas, 63 x 85 5/8 inches

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      in Art

      A Vibrant Ndebele Mural by Esther Mahlangu Illuminates Unity at Serpentine North

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      “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” (2024), Serpentine North Garden. Photo by George Darrell. Image courtesy of Serpentine and The Melrose Gallery, shared with permission

      A Vibrant Ndebele Mural by Esther Mahlangu Illuminates Unity at Serpentine North

      October 10, 2024

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      For more than eight decades, Dr. Esther Mahlangu has been creating large-scale, site-specific works that draw on the artistic traditions of Ndebele culture.

      Known for her vibrant, patterned compositions, Mahlangu learned techniques for decorating houses from her mother and grandmother while growing up in South Africa. She mixes natural pigments with clay, soil, and cow dung to paint directly on the exteriors of structures in her village.

      Photo by George Darrell

      Ndebele house painting emerged in the mid-18th century when the matrilineal tribe began to build huts out of mud rather than grass. Women applied colorful patterns to the walls to not only brighten the village but also communicate with others.

      The geometric shapes, characterized by bold, black outlines, serve as a visual language to express personal values, prayers, or major life events.

      Mahlangu paints by hand without using stencils or masking tape, employing chicken feathers and various brushes to create painstaking geometries that preserve a handmade quality. Over time, she has also created numerous works on canvas, using acrylic to broaden the range of hues in her work.

      Esther Mahlangu photographed by Clint Strydom, courtesy of The Melrose Gallery

      At Serpentine North in Hyde Park, London, Mahlangu’s first installation the U.K. was unveiled this week on a wall in the gallery’s garden.

      Comprising six wooden panels, the monumental mural celebrates unity and community and taps into an Ndebele philosophy: “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu,” which translates to: “I am because you are.”

      The mural remains on view through September 28, 2025. Plan your visit on the Serpentine website, and learn more about Mahlangu’s remarkable work and career on her website and Instagram.

      Photo by Clint Strydom, courtesy of The Melrose Gallery

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    • 125 Shares159 Views

      in Art

      Ornate Painted Patterns Conceal Photographer Cecilia Paredes Against Textile Backdrops

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      Art
      Photography

      #camouflage
      #paint
      #pattern
      #self-portrait
      #textiles

      November 8, 2021
      Grace Ebert

      “Blue Flight” (2021). All images courtesy of Ruiz-Healy Art, shared with permission
      Peruvian artist Cecilia Paredes continues her ongoing series of camouflaged self-portraits with deceptive new works that leave only her hair, eyes, and ears untouched. Set against lavish backdrops printed with birds in shades of blue, floral motifs, and ornate flourishes, Paredes paints her skin and positions herself in a precise alignment with the chosen pattern, disappearing among the colorful landscapes. Each work, which the Lima-born artist refers to as “photo performances,” considers how individual identities are informed by natural environments and the broader cultural milieu. Explore an archive of Paredes’s lavish portraits at Ruiz-Healy Art and on Artsy.

      “The Unseen Glance” (2021)
      “Paradise Hands IV” (2020)
      “The Whisper” (2021)

      “Magnolia Stories” (2020)

      #camouflage
      #paint
      #pattern
      #self-portrait
      #textiles

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