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Preview: “A Stranger in the Garden” by Saddo at BC Gallery

Thanatophobia, or the fear of death, is an ancient and primal phobia that Saddo confronts in his upcoming solo, "A Stranger in the Garden". Opening this Friday the 13th at BC Gallery, his exhibition showcases his largest, and most challenging works to date on canvas and paper. Human society has shared his fascination with death for centuries in a variety of ways whether through reverence to religious deities or cultural practice. With added personal motifs, Saddo portrays such subjects as Anubis, the Egyptian god of death, and Kālī, the Hindu goddess of death.

Thanatophobia, or the fear of death, is an ancient and primal phobia that Saddo confronts in his upcoming solo, “A Stranger in the Garden”. Opening this Friday the 13th at BC Gallery, his exhibition showcases his largest, and most challenging works to date on canvas and paper. Human society has shared his fascination with death for centuries in a variety of ways whether through reverence to religious deities or cultural practice. With added personal motifs, Saddo portrays such subjects as Anubis, the Egyptian god of death, and Kālī, the Hindu goddess of death. Saddo’s representations are dark yet humorous, replacing their expressionless faces with personality and more tattoos than a sailor. Surrounding them is mysterious lush jungle life, reminiscent of Saddo’s native Romania. Perhaps some hint to this mystery can be found in Saddo’s title, borrowed from Luis Buñuel’s “Death in the Garden” about South American fugitives who flee into the jungle. Take a look at some images from the show courtesy BC Gallery and the artist.


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Opening Night: JAZ’s “VINCULO” at BC Gallery

Currently on view at BC Gallery in Berlin, “VINCULO,” opened last Friday after the Argentinian artist JAZ (Franco Fasoli) completed his wildly affecting mural of a muscled, hunch-backed Minotaur crying out in what appears to be more likely help or defeat rather than glory. The two-story exhibition space is divided into two sections: in the basement, four-legged animals in various iterations – solo, running in packs, melded into a single abstract form – on blue backgrounds; and on the ground floor, larger-format paintings of ordinary men with animal heads fighting one another within the same monochrome settings.

Preview: Saddo’s “Rise of the Bird People” at Objectos Misturados Gallery

The founder of pioneering Romanian street art collective The Playground, Saddo is an interdisciplinary artist whose offbeat, illustrative paintings reimagine history. He recently relocated to Lisbon, Portugal and created a new series of work for his solo show "Rise of the Bird People," which opens at Objectos Misturados Gallery in the small city of Viana do Costelo on May 31. Saddo has often referenced the master painters of the 15th-17th centuries as major influences. Since he moved to Portugal, he shifted his focus to the local historical happenings of the region. "Rise of the Bird People," though contemporary in style, takes a look at the conquistadors of the aforementioned period — when European imperialism was at its height. The bird people enact violence in the name of conquest. Though Saddo makes these heavy topics easily digestible, the works subtly evoke the ways historical patterns of systematic violence have carried over into today.

On View: Andrea Wan’s “Fleeting Seasons” at BC Gallery

Andrea Wan contemplates the idea of fading youth and imminent mortality in her new series of ink and gouache paintings. Her solo show "Fleeting Seasons" is currently on view at BC Gallery in her home base of Berlin. The paintings in "Fleeting Seasons" feature hybridized figures — girls as islands whose bodies combine with nature and architecture. Each head and torso serves as a home to a host of strange, mysterious characters that appear to beckon the central, youthful protagonist into a world beyond. Anthropomorphic skeletons and loose eyeballs hint at life beyond the grave while jubilant butterflies and plants pull her back to the earthly kingdom. "Fleeting Seasons" is on view through February 28.

Preview: Saddo and Aitch’s “Coffins” at La Petite Mort Gallery

Originally from Romania, Saddo and Aitch recently relocated to Lisbon where they found themselves caught off guard by the gloomy, damp winter. They describe the cold weather as an oppressive force that kept them indoors, affecting them both physically and psychologically. Their upcoming two-person show at La Petite Mort Gallery in Ottawa, "Coffins" (could there be a gallery name and show title combination more appropriate?), reflects on their rough experience and celebrates the warmth of summer. The two artists, who are frequent collaborators as well as a romantic couple, say that they chose the title because it reflects their state of mind while they were trapped indoors in their damp apartment. Take a look at their morbidly humorous paintings after the jump.
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