Figuring the Floral — NATALIA NAKAZAWA

Figuring the Floral
July 21 - December 01, 2019

Exhibition catalog
Exhibition Press Release

Press: Flowers Become an Unlikely Means to Discuss Identity and Politics, by Ilana Novick

A flower’s life cycle of budding, blooming and pollinating, as well as its process of decay, strongly echoes the human condition. The exhibition Figuring the Floral features artists who apply this symbolism to their work—touching on race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, aging and other facets of identity. Reflecting on the site-specificity of these works exhibited amid the flourishing gardens of Wave Hill, Curator of Visual Arts Eileen Jeng Lynch notes how the exhibition is enhanced by the visible and tangible connections with flora on the grounds.

While floral imagery is often associated with decorative art and femininity, Figuring the Floral subverts these notions—rather, artists complicate such limiting interpretations by relating these natural forms to deeper reflections of self. This group exhibition brings together artists who create new symbolism, some using flowers to alter or obscure the human form and others working in more abstract or literal modes of depiction. The work includes collage, drawing, painting, photography, sculpture and an outdoor installation amidst the living foliage of the gardens. Exhibiting artists: Derrick Adams, Nicole Awai, Bahar Behbahani, Christian Ruiz Berman, Sanford Biggers, Cecile Chong, Max Colby, Abigail DeVille, Valerie Hegarty, Christopher K. Ho and Kevin Zucker, Diana Lozano, Natalia Nakazawa, Ebony G. Patterson, Bundith Phunsombatlert, Lina Puerta, Simonette Quamina, David Rios Ferreira, Alexandria Smith, Katherine Toukhy, Lina Iris Viktor, William Villalongo and Saya Woolfalk.

From left to right: Natalia Nakazawa, “Language of Birds” (2019), jacquard woven textiles and tapestry, 71 x 53 inches (courtesy of the artist); William Villalongo, “Brother, Brother” (2019), acrylic, cut velour paper and pigment print collage, 39 7/8 x 39 3/8 inches, sheet 45 x 44 3/8 x 1 7/8 inches framed (courtesy of the artist and Susan Inglett Gallery, NYC, photo by Stefan Hagen)

Figuring the Floral Installation View_Image Courtesy of Wave Hill_Photo by Stefan Hagen_Lozano, Behbahani, Ho _ Zucker, Nakazawa, Villalongo.jpg

From left to right: Bundith Phunsombatlert, Sunny Garden in Blue: Stories from the Caribbean to Brooklyn (2018-ongoing), archival digital print on paper, 12 works: 14 ¼ x 20 inches each, 17 x 22 ¾ inches framed (courtesy of the artist); David Rios Ferreira, “Do things my own way darling” (2018), gouache, screen printing ink, and collage on paper, 44 x 61 inches (courtesy of the artist, photo by Stefan Hagen)