Alexandre da Cunha (born 1969) is a Brazilian-British artist,[1] who produces sculpture and wall mounted works, often using found objects. His works have been exhibited around the world, and are located in several major public collections.
Alexandre da Cunha | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1969 (age 54–55) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Education | Royal College of Art and Chelsea College of Arts, London |
| Known for | Sculpture and wall mounted work using found objects |
Biography
Alexandre da Cunha was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1969.[2] After initial studies at Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado in Brazil, da Cunha moved to the United Kingdom in the late 1990s, studying sculpture at the Royal College of Art[3] before moving to the Chelsea College of Arts.[2] Since his studies, da Cunha lives and works in both London and São Paulo.[2]
In the early 1990s, da Cunha began working with Galeria Luisa Strina, the oldest contemporary art gallery in Brazil – with his first solo exhibition taking place in 1998.[4]
Work
In his work, da Cunha mixes the use of found, mass produced and 'ready made' objects with 'traditional' sculpture – by repurposing and reusing them.[5][6] In 2006, he stated that the items that he uses often have no monetary value, describing them as "things I found on the streets ... ready for the garbage can".[7] For example, the 2004 work Skateboarderistismatronics (fan) is made of recycled skateboards – da Cunha stated that the old skateboards are worthless, but nevertheless they have "huge personal value" to the skaters themselves.[8] Despite the variety in the size of his works – from a small sculpture[6] to a concrete mixer[9] – the aesthetic of the artwork is balanced against the social and cultural history of the materials that the work is made from.[10] In 2015, he exhibited a circular composition originally made out of a used cleaning mop.[11]
His works are inspired by the Neo-Concrete Brazilian art movement of the late 1950s, Op art, well as modernist architecture found in major Brazilian cities.[6][12] da Cunha also frequently uses the tropes of national identity, such as flags and iconography, in his work.[13] Frieze states da Cunha's "historical lineage" includes classical sculpture, baroque patterns, Primitivism, Arte Povera, and Brazilian Modernism.[14]
In the late 2010s, da Cunha was commissioned by Art on the Underground to create a public artwork for the new Northern line extension to Battersea. His work at Battersea Power Station – Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset – is a 100-metre-long kinetic sculpture, using the technology of a rotating billboard.[15][16] As the COVID-19 pandemic meant that the 2020 New Contemporaries exhibition could not take place, da Cunha and artists Anthea Hamilton and Linder selected works for an online exhibition.[17]
Exhibitions
Da Cunha has exhibited works at a variety of solo and group exhibitions across the world since the 2000s.[4] Solo exhibitions have included:
- Duplex, Brighton CCA, Brighton, England (2021)[18]
- Duologue with Phillip King, Royal Society of Sculptors, London, England (2018)[19]
- Mornings, Office Baroque, Brussels, Belgium (2017)[20]
- Free Fall, Thomas Dane Gallery, London, England (2016)[21]
- Homebodies, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, United States (2015)[22]
- Dublê, Centro Cultural São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil (2011)[23]
- Laissez-Faire, Camden Arts Centre, London, England (2009)[24]
Collections
- Tate Collection and Tate Liverpool, United Kingdom[25]
- Zabludowicz Collection[26]
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Illinois[2]
- Laumeier Sculpture Park[9]
- Museu de Arte da Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Brazil[2]
- Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, Massachusetts[27]
- Pérez Art Museum Miami, Florida[28]
Public artworks
- Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset, Battersea Power Station tube station, London[15]
- Mix, Monsoon Building, London[29]
- Plaza (Arcade), Fenway, Boston, United States[30]
- Mix II, Rochaverá Corporate Towers, São Paulo[31]
Publications
- Alexandre da Cunha: Arena (2020, Thomas Dane Gallery; ISBN 9781999615765)
- Alexandre da Cunha: Monumento (2019, Revolver; ISBN 978-3-95763-462-7)
- Drawing Room Confessions: Alexandre da Cunha (2015, Drawing Room Confessions; ISBN 9788867491520)
- Alexandre da Cunha (2012, Editora Cobogó, ISBN 978-85-60965-26-7)