Anderson Borba pushes the boundaries of wood as a material, shaping it into autonomous totems and hanging wall reliefs that convey rich textural complexity and ambiguity. His method combines traditional craftsmanship with contemporary techniques, incorporating digitally altered imagery that blurs the distinction between surface and form. Borba engages closely with his materials—carving, burning, painting, pressing, and manipulating them through a process-driven approach—to produce rugged, cracked, yet compelling sculptural bodies. Drawing inspiration from both classical sculpture and the self-taught artists of Brazil’s interior, Borba navigates a dynamic tension between idea and sensory experience. His sculptures unfold the human body into abstract, anthropomorphic forms that often approach human scale and confront the viewer with an impassive presence. This interplay creates a complex emotional response—one that oscillates between recognition and alienation, attraction and distance. Through this hybridity, Borba intentionally crafts a space that is at once unstable and coherent, inviting viewers into a realm where materiality and meaning continuously shift and resonate. ...
The Approach is co-directed by Jake Miller and Emma Robertson. Located in Bethnal Green above The Approach Tavern, for over twenty years it has operated an internationally recognised programme from its East London base. The gallery is known for discovering artists and establishing their careers as well as making inter-generational curated group shows a strong focus. The list of represented artists includes the Estates of important overlooked female artists Heidi Bucher and Maria Pinińska Bereś, as well as seminal British collage artist John Stezaker, together with established and emerging artists including Magali Reus, Peter Davies, Lisa Oppenheim, Sandra Mujinga, Pam Evelyn, Sara Cwynar, Sam Windett and Caitlin Keogh. Over the years the gallery has operated parallel programmes in additional gallery spaces in London’s West End (The Approach W1) and in Shoreditch (The Reliance). The gallery is currently based solely in its original East End location and continues to expand its programme, showcasing its represented artists in the main gallery space, and both represented and non-represented artists in The Annexe, a smaller, more experimental space at the back of the building. ...
