Raúl De Nieves: The Book
November 28th, 2022 - January 21st, 2023-
Raul de Nieves, The Book. Installation View
Nina Johnson is pleased to present The Book, a solo exhibition by artist Raúl de Nieves in the Upstairs Gallery. On view from November 28th, 2022 – January 21st, 2023, this new body of work references the artist’s transformation and renewal over the course of his career, featuring a series of 18 multi-media wall-based works alongside the artist’s signature style of beaded sculptures and ceramic works.
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Raul de Nieves, Passage 11, 2022. Detail View
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Raul de Nieves, Passage 7, 2022, Found fabric, beads, ribbons, glue, glitter, buttons, on cotton blend paper, 32 x 21.25 in., 36 x 25 in. (Framed)
In his exhibition at Nina Johnson, de Nieves introduces a new body of wall works that will unfold like an open book. Meditating on his historical career thus far, the artist references his process-based approach in these collages — building and rebuilding, assembling and disassembling. The Book signifies a shift in the artist’s method, as well as a transformation in his career, leading the way to a new chapter.
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Raul de Nieves, The Tower 2, 2019, Ceramic, glaze, glass mirror, wood, paint, 41 x 48 x 48 in.
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Raul de Nieves, The Book. Installation View
Influenced by narrative elements found in Mexican folklore and the Catholic canon, de Nieves’s practice blends classical aspects with traditional elements, creating his own mythology that confronts sexuality and the human body, in addition to individual and collective histories. Known for his vivid three-dimensional beaded sculptures, de Nieves pays tribute to his Mexican heritage, as well as drag and ballroom culture, by transforming quotidian materials into chromatic and extravagant objects.
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Raul de Nieves, The experience of many psychological changes 2, 2022, Foam, cloth, sequins, beads, millinery trims, buttons, glue, 14 x 54 x 16 in.
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Raul de Nieves, The Book. Installation View
Raúl de Nieves has recently exhibited at; ICA, Boston; MOCA, North Miami; SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah; Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland; Museum of Art and Design, New York; and MoMA PS1. His work is included in public collections at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and ICA Boston.
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Raul de Nieves, Passage 5, 2022, Found fabric, beads, ribbons, glue, glitter, buttons, on cotton blend paper, 32 x 21.25 in., 36 x 25 in. (Framed)
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Raul de Nieves, The Book. Installation View
Raúl de Nieves (b. 1984, Michoacan, Mexico) is a multimedia artist, performer, and musician, whose wide-ranging practice investigates notions of beauty and transformation. De Nieves’ visual symbolism draws on both classical Catholic and Mexican vernacular motifs to create his own unique mythology that often challenges and explores themes of sexuality, the human body, and individual and public histories. Having learned traditional Latin American sewing and beadwork at school and alongside family members, his work pays tribute to and invents upon traditional forms. Through processes of accumulation and adornment, the artist transforms readily available materials into spectacular objects, which he then integrates into immersive narrative environments. Recent solo exhibitions include those at Apalazzo Gallery, Italy; ICA, Boston; MOCA, North Miami; SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah; Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland; Company, New York; Apalazzo, Brescia and Freedman Fitzpatrick, Los Angeles. Additional group shows include those at Museum of Arts and Design, New York; Jeffrey Deitch Gallery, Los Angeles; K11 Art Foundation, Hong Kong; Swiss Institute, New York; New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans; The Museum of Art and Design, New York; the Zabludowicz Collection, London as well the 2017 Whitney Biennial and MoMA PS1’s 2015 Greater New York. De Nieves has performed at Documenta 14, Performa 13, MoMA PS1, ICA Philadelphia, The Watermill Center, The Kitchen, Artist’s Space and numerous other venues. His work is included in public collections at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.