Three of the works on view engage the architecture of the window and relate to the feelings of longing for movement and connection and lingering between internal and external, indoor and outdoor that Nepomuceno has experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. A fourth sculpture, titled Xamã II, which translates to “shaman” in Portuguese, embodies the flow of energy in a proclamation of the healing power of possibilities.
Maria Nepomuceno
'Dentro e fora infinitamente'
Aug. 3 - Dec. 26, 2022
Across decades, Maria Nepomuceno has developed a collaborative and generative relationship with a group of female artisans in northeast Brazil renowned for weaving carnauba palm straw, native to the region, into functional objects. Nepomuceno has experimented with this medium, inventing new shapes, patterns, and forms that incorporate traditional techniques while also integrating more unconventional materials such as beads, raw clay, ceramic, resin, and rope. Emerging through the evolution of this labor-intensive method, the resulting works oscillate between collage, painting, and sculpture. Reflecting the spirit of Nepomuceno’s practice, with references to Brazilian flora and fauna, each woven structure appears as its own complete and beautifully balanced ecosystem, made up of a seemingly endless and complex network of interconnected and overflowing elements.
Across decades, Maria Nepomuceno has developed a collaborative and generative relationship with a group of female artisans in northeast Brazil renowned for weaving carnauba palm straw, native to the region, into functional objects. Nepomuceno has experimented with this medium, inventing new shapes, patterns, and forms that incorporate traditional techniques while also integrating more unconventional materials such as beads, raw clay, ceramic, resin, and rope. Emerging through the evolution of this labor-intensive method, the resulting works oscillate between collage, painting, and sculpture. Reflecting the spirit of Nepomuceno’s practice, with references to Brazilian flora and fauna, each woven structure appears as its own complete and beautifully balanced ecosystem, made up of a seemingly endless and complex network of interconnected and overflowing elements.
Maria Nepomuceno, "Out of the window 3" (detail), 2021, rope, beads, clay, straw, resin, wood, glass, and iron, 82 5/8 x 59 1/8 x 29 1/2 in. Courtesy of the artist and Sikkema Jenkins & Co.
About the artist
Maria Nepomuceno (b. 1976, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) lives and works in Rio de Janeiro. She began studying fine art and theory at the Parque Lage School of Visual Arts and continued her studies in industrial design and scenography at UNIRIO, the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro. Her most recent solo exhibition, Maria Nepomuceno: Refloresta!, was presented at the Portico Library in Manchester, U.K. She has also presented solo exhibitions at venues including Stavanger Art Museum, Norway; Barbican Centre, London; Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro; and Turner Contemporary, Margate, U.K. Her work is held in the collections of Magasin III, Stockholm; FAMA Museu, Itu, São Paulo; the Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi; Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, as well as in the Rubell Family Collection.
Install Views
Programs and events
Aug
11
2022
Event
Source inspiration from dynamic artistic practices at celebration of new SCAD MOA exhibitions
Join SCAD MOA for a celebration of new exhibitions featuring work by Gisela Colón, Johana Moscoso, and Maria Nepomuceno, with refreshments inspired by the artists’ heritages.
Sept
21
2022
Event
Welcome a new season of exhibitions at SCAD Museum of Art opening reception
Join SCAD MOA for a celebration of new fall exhibitions.
Credits
Dentro e fora infinitamente is organized by SCAD Museum of Art assistant curator Brittany Richmond.
