Opera Gallery, London 28th of April 2010
Posted on 05.03.10 to art, gallery, news, photography by Tahiyya Jurdine
The Opera Gallery presents new and original works by two young contemporary artists, Matteo Sbaragli and Yim Tae Kyu, from Italy and South Korea respectively. Both artists work with a similar theme of representing angelic human behaviours, but the style of their work is starkly distinctive.
Yim Tae Kyu is a fantastical visual storyteller. His large child-like animation pieces, bold in colour, seem innocent at first, but after a closer look, the story clearly shifts from playful to twisted.
Matteo Sbaragli’s portrait subjects are fierce and slightly disconcerting, intensified by the earthy coloured oils painted on aluminum- which conjures disturbing imagery of morgue trolleys in horror films.
Although both artists aim to capture a certain innocence in humans, they portray beautifully warped psyches instead. It leaves you pensive, wondering why humans don’t feel free to tear away heavy layers of moral expectations.
This provocative exhibition will certainly push you out of your comfort zone, and it’s also a pleasant surprise to see a gallery in Mayfair presenting works that emanate a dark sub-culture of sorts; it gives the gallery a bit of a raw edge.
Opera Gallery London, 134 New Bond Street, London, W1S 2TF
Photos by Emanuele D’Angelo
