Jaume Plensa: Nocturne

Preview

Gray is pleased to present Nocturne, a solo exhibition of new sculpture by Jaume Plensa. Debuting nine of the artist’s latest works in stone, glass, steel, and bronze, Nocturne explores the artist’s range and mastery of sculptural portraiture. The exhibition opens at Gray Warehouse in Chicago on November 14, 2020 (by appointment only) and runs through January 9, 2021.

In Nocturne, a word evocative of the night, Plensa navigates the symbolic dichotomy between lightness and darkness. The artist presents his newest body of work in a gradient of material density, beginning with the most substantial sculptures crafted from black basalt and bronze, and concluding with light, ethereal figures in stainless steel and Murano glass. Contemplating the extraordinary challenges of the present day in these terms, Plensa maintains, “no matter how long the night, the morning always comes.” Whether embracing or opposing the intrinsic qualities of his materials, Plensa’s exhibition of sculptural portraits symbolizes the potential for hope to emerge from a place of total darkness.