Guest post by Sophie Nash-Jones
The Stephen Friedman Gallery now displays the work of Brazilian artist Tonico Lemos Auad in a solo exhibition opening this weekend. This exhibition, the third of Auad’s solo exhibitions, presents the long-standing exploration of traditional craft through architecture, landscape and human interaction. In a time of increasing technological development, Auad celebrates the irregularity of the craftsman’s hand, embracing the imperfections of each gesture.
Born in northern Brazil and now living and working in London, Auad uses everyday materials to create his art. His forms are lyrical and often transient, made from a wide range of materials such as wool, linen, wood and stone. Through these components, viewers are treated to a variation of textile forms, sculptures and installations in this new show. Collaborations with a number of specialised craftspeople have allowed Auad to explore the crossover between craft, skill, tradition and cultural inheritance. A particular highlight of the exhibition are the small, hand-stitched rectangles in shades of white, black and red; individual for their unique combination of stitches and interwoven threads.
Also in the exhibition is a stone and textile installation. Combining craft and culture, four limestone plinths hold several textile pots made from coils of Tunisian stitched multi-coloured yarn, and work intuitively to represent the precision and spatial clarity of a meditative landscape. This is an exhibition not to be missed.
Tonico Lemos Auad, Stephen Friedman Gallery, 9 February - 10 March 2018
25-28 Old Burlington Street, London, W1S 3AN