New Prophets (basketballs)

New Prophets

New Prophets started with my fascination with the Commentary of the Apocalypse, a Spanish illuminated manuscript from the 8th century. Today, more than a thousand years later, this book acquires a completely different meaning as we face new apocalyptical threats, environmental destruction and climate injustice. In my works I’ve chosen to repurpose specific stories, creatures and symbols that historically have been used to depict evil or negative forces, mostly in Christian scriptures. Through these new bejeweled micro-universes I want to materialise new interpretations for these images, making their spiritual legacies relevant within contemporary culture. By questioning these obsolete belief systems, their motifs and prejudiced meanings I hope to trigger new forms of magical thinking, activating their spirituality through form, colour and space, reflecting on an extensive circulation of ideas, works and people. Perhaps we can see these images no longer as threatening and repressive but as part of an exciting new narrative: a vision that embraces multispecies ecologies and challenges dualistic relationships between human and non-human entities.

LIQUID DREAMS.
From the series New Prophets, 2024.
Basketball, plaster, gesso, glass beads.
⌀ 25cm.

Liquid Dreams depicts the underwater world as a realm of endless possibilities, a testament to the diversity of an underwater world inhabited by graceful creatures, some real, some imagined. The biggest one is a gracious fish with shimmering scales and a golden aura, but we can also find a manta ray, a blue lobster, a turtle and a jellyfish. They inhabit a world that remains a realm of mystery and wonder, untouched by human hands.

MAGICAL THINKING.
From the series New Prophets, 2024.
Basketball, plaster, gesso, glass beads.
⌀ 25cm.

This work depicts the “Whore of Babylon riding the beast” under a new light. This image has been used over many centuries in sacred texts to depict evil and temptation, always in connection to the female figure. Here, we see her as a rather strong symbol of resistance against patriarchal structures and systems of oppression, holding a celestial body in the palm of her hand, reclaiming her own power. Her magnificent outfit is complemented with a large red cape and a stunning crown. She’s riding a fantastical creature illuminated with a golden aura and adorned with beautiful tassels. On the other side we find an intricate geometric pattern that serves as a visual representation of time as an intertwined cyclical journey. The work therefore explores the realm of magical thinking, where symbols and patterns hold profound significance beyond their aesthetic appearances.

EVER LASTING.
From the series New Prophets, 2024.
Basketball, plaster, gesso, glass beads.
⌀ 25cm.

EVER LASTING depicts a lush microworld with pink, purple, and white clarkias blooming over a shiny black scene. Two small four-legged creatures seem to enjoy being the only inhabitants here. The flowers serve as a reminder of the impermanence of all things, a testament to the beauty that persists amidst the relentless march of time.