LIO MALCA PRESENTS:
MAI BLANCO AT LA NAVE SALINAS
June 28 - October 31, 2024
Monday to Friday
10 am to 6 pm
Free admission
Enter the ethereal realm of Spanish contemporary artist Mai Blanco, whose mesmerizing self-portraits intricately weave the essence of humanity with the primordial beauty of nature. Blanco's work forges a profound connection with the transcendental simplicity of existence.
THE EXHIBITION
Fundación La Nave Salinas is pleased to present Jardín Adentro (A Garden Within), a first institutional exhibition of works by Spanish artist Mai Blanco. The exhibition comprises nineteen paintings of diverse formats.
Jardín Adentro (A Garden Within) is a profound exploration of the duality of human existence, presented through a series of paintings where self-portraits coexist with nature in its most universal form. This body of work creates a dialogue between the inner self and the external world, vulnerability and strength.
THE WORKS
Blanco's oeuvre comprises self-portraits that delve into the quest for meaning, often threading through the labyrinth of nature. In the natural world, she discovers an inexhaustible wellspring of primordial beauty, forging a profound connection with the transcendental. This bond gives rise to an exultant celebration of life, embracing simplicity and authenticity.
For Blanco, the mere act of being and existing in this world is inherently transcendent. With a penchant for portraying nude figures amidst nature, Blanco captures the quintessence of humanity in its archetypal form. Mindful to eschew elements that might confine her characters to a specific time or place, she endeavors to uphold universality and timelessness inher practice.
Her figures draw subconscious inspiration from a pantheon of revered artists, spanning from classical luminaries like Bonet, Botticelli, and Rubens to contemporary masters such as Pierre Bonnard, Jean Dubuffet, George Baselitz, Alice Neel, Pablo Picasso, and Cecily Brown.
Blanco's linework emanates with remarkable fluidity, effortlessly evoking the sensuality of the female form while also hinting at the strength and prowess of mythological female warriors known as Amazonas. Her color palette, soft yet vibrant, serves as a subtle reminder that amidst strength and independence, her characters retain the inherent grace of femininity.
Opening Jardín Adentro
Making of Jardín Adentro
THE ARTIST
"The Garden of Eden" is not a lost paradise, but something that we all carry within us and that we erroneously think we have lost with the awakening of consciousness.
Mai Blanco
Mai Blanco (Asturias, 1982) is a Spanish artist based in Barcelona. Her artistic studies began at the Escuela de Artes y Oficios de Oviedo in 2002 and culminated with her graduation from the University of Fine Arts of Barcelona in 2009.
Blanco describes her work as deeply personal and emergent during the creative process, without preconceived ideas. Her pieces develop a narrative that reflects her inner search for meaning. Although she does not consider herself a conceptual artist, her finished works encapsulate concepts that speak to her personal experience and the present moment.
Her introspective approach addresses universal questions about the purpose of life and the fate of humanity, creating works with a highly universal reading. Blanco draws inspiration from revered artists such as Bonet, Botticelli, Rubens, Pierre Bonnard, Jean Dubuffet, George Baselitz, Alice Neel, Pablo Picasso, and Cecily Brown.