Samuel Salcedo

SAMUEL SALCEDO (Barcelona, 1975).
"Nest 8", 2014.
Polyester resin and wood.
Unique piece.
Signed and dated.
Attached certificate of authenticity issued by 3 Punts Gallery.
Measurements: 80 x 49 x 32 cm.

Samuel Salcedo is a sculptor who explores the human condition using humor but without undermining the existential burden. Many of his works, such as his iconic bald heads, focus on the expressiveness of the faces. In the piece shown here, seven heads in different shades of gray are crammed one on top of the other, conveying a sense of oppression and mutual burden. Each face reflects the physical and symbolic weight of its companions, in a visual metaphor of interdependence and shared anguish. They are imprisoned on a sort of classical cantilever, which gives the whole an aesthetic close to the philosophy of the absurd.

The sculptor Samuel Salcedo creates a work populated by grotesque and ironic figures through which he reflects on his identity. Although he uses various techniques in his artistic work, he considers himself a sculptor. In his own words, "I find the label of plastic artist a bit pompous. Although for a long time I only exhibited paintings, my work and my social security number were sculptors. Now I still define myself that way because, sometimes, the term visual artist puts you in a context that many people, especially those outside the artistic field, fail to understand". His work is distinguished by portraying the human being from a perspective in which his emotions are amplified and even ridiculed. With a completely contemporary aesthetic, Samuel Salcedo presents the reactions generated by different states of mind. In this regard, he comments on his exploration in the field of humor: "I have been developing it because I understood that it helps to soften a certain aggressiveness in my work and to place it in the context that I believe it should have. There can't be only aggressiveness; there must be a balance, and that's what puzzles".

He trained at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Barcelona and Manchester Metropolitan University. In 1998, he made his solo debut at the Rose Sélavy gallery in Barcelona. Since then, he has had solo exhibitions in several Spanish capitals, as well as in Paris (Fréderic Got, 2008), Cologne (100Kubik, 2011), Berlin (3Punts, 2012) and Hannover (Robert Drees, 2012). His most recent exhibitions include "House of Mirrors", which took place at 3Punts gallery in Barcelona in 2013. Since his first exhibition, he has participated in numerous group exhibitions, mainly in Barcelona, but also in Granada, Murcia, Madrid, Banyoles, Vigo, Berlin, Lisbon, Strasbourg, Andorra, Lille, Perpignan, among other cities. In addition, he has been part of several fairs, highlighting Artexpo in 2001 (Barcelona), Estampa in 2009 (Madrid), Art Madrid from 2010 to 2013, Hot Fair Basel in 2010, Art Miami in 2010, Scope Art Show New York in 2011, Art Chicago in 2011, Art Fair of Cologne in 2011 and 2013, Just Mad of Madrid in 2012, and Art Karlsruhe in Germany in 2013. Currently, his work is represented in the Testimoni collection of La Caixa, as well as in the Fran Daurel, DKV and Vila-Casas foundations, the City Council of Ceutí (Murcia), the Benito Artis collection (Manlleu), the Museum of International Contemporary Figurative Sculpture and the Bassat collection.