Neverland
Neverland, or Never Never Land, is the land of Peter Pan. It’s considered a distant and exotic place where children (referred to as ‘lost boys’) don’t grow up. They live there without any rules or responsibility and all of their time is spent having fun and adventures. It’s a magic place filled with impossible things; somewhere that we might return to when we feel nostalgia for childhood. Neverland is somewhere that adults might long to escape to in order to prevent their curious and critical spirit from dying. A place where even nightmares could actually be fun.
La Fiambrera presents NEVERLAND. An exhibit that invites the public to rediscover the magic of their childhood via the work of the artists we have assembled to interpret the term in this wild and irrational world. Taking in the identities of the “lost boys”, the ensemble conveys their worries, fears, dreams and nightmares. They also deal with the joy of obsession in addition to anger and emotion through playful and ironic visual language. These interpretations are perhaps more indicative of the fabled location after which the exhibition is titled. The work dares the viewer to imagine that they are transported to Neverland. Dafne, Silky, Curro and Juan Pablo never lose their inner child, and each personal interpretation is created to guide the viewer back to a more innocent place.
NEVERLAND features more than 150 pieces, in different techniques, of these four artists. All presented as a cabinet of curiosities to the viewer that invites them in to get a beat on the individual interpretation of each participant.
THE LOST BOYS (the artists):
DAFNE ARTIGOT (Zaragoza, Spain, 1966) – Born in Zaragoza in 1966, Dafne has devoted much of her professional life to advertising and illustration. Her work has appeared in Elle and also in commissions for prominent brands such as IKEA. At present, Dafne combines her artistic activities with teaching and also as an illustrator with various prominent publishing houses. Dafne’s work is a product of the intention to view the grey world that surrounds us with more joyful hues and humour.
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JUAN PABLO BAENE (Bogotá, Colombia, 1978) – Juan Pablo Baene graduated in Fine Arts in Colombia and completed his art studies in Barcelona. He has been living in New York since 2012 where he develops his career and exhibits regularly. Juan’s work has appeared in numerous international publications such as Living Wage Now and Boom Magazine in addition to being commissioned by prestigious brands such as Converse. His paintings reference all aspects of popular culture with biographical elements that reflect his personal universe. His markedly surreal and playful paintings are like playgrounds in which Baene injects his own unique personality.
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CURRO SUÁREZ (Barcelona, Spain, 1973) – Although born in Barcelona, Curro has worked in advertising here in Madrid since 1997. His work has have been commissioned by BBVA, Coca-Cola and Vodafone and he regularly features in prestigious print and broadcast media. Inspired by nature and the city alike, Curro’s work references many modern and contemporary artists such as Chagall, Sauvignac or Jim Flora. It is also informed by the aesthetic and music of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, primitive art, Charley Harper, Richard Scarry, Quentin Blake, Blue Note Records and Hatch Show Print … but always with an eye on the present. His lively work indicates a preference for the use of the stroke in drawing and a sublime architectural flair. When he decides to portray people or animals, his Western and Oriental cultural references are combined with a hint of surrealism.
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SILKY, Silke Thoss, (Osnabrück, Germany, 1968) – Silke studied sculpture at Chelsea College of Arts in London in 1997 and graduated as an associate professor at the University of Fine Arts in Bremen. She has exhibited both jointly and individually in g alleries throughout Europe and the USA where her work has been recognized with several prizes and scholarships. Silke has been awarded such accolades as “Berlin Artist Residency sponsored by Senator für Kultur Bremen”, “Santa Fe Artist Residency, New Mexico “,” Travel Grant Beijing, Shanghai sponsored by Gedok Bremen ” and ” KUBO Photography Award, Bremen “. Images and characters from popular culture are given a humorous, sometimes rather crude makeover. These reimaginings involve dismantling myths about art, the artist and consumer society . Silke’s painting is “sculptural” in that it’s created using recycled material, usually wood, to arrive in a 3D form to make the message more striking.
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