Raúl De Nieves

Drawing on his childhood in Morelia, Mexico, Raúl De Nieves crafts sculptures and installations which bring the bright, vivacious colours of his upbringing into the gallery space. Playing with scale and encapsulating a larger than life, drag aesthetic, De Nieves works with beading, ceramics, and lighting to create these enticing zones. A pearl encrusted figure may reach out their hand to visitors, bright hues from stain glass might filter into the space, or an enchanting ceramic visage adorned with a petalled headdress could meet viewer’s eyes. Aiming to bridge together feelings of pure happiness with a sense of melancholia, there is an immense emotional depth present within De Nieves’ installations. The sculptures appear to traverse bodily, carnival settings with a celestial, spirit realm, carving space for mourning and celebration all at once. The artist speaks of his own experience of losing his father at the age of two, and his practice being a way to develop their personal relationship, whilst more broadly, artmaking allows him to connect with his Mexican heritage whilst living in Brooklyn.