Raúl de Nieves

Opening November 19, 2023

Emergence—from a cocoon, a slumber, a loss—is a precipice between what we were and who we are to become. In the second presentation of The Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker Biennial Commission, multimedia artist, performer, and musician Raúl de Nieves invites visitors to explore the wonder, beauty, and chaos of the natural world through the themes of emerging and becoming.

“Raúl de Nieves makes incredibly joyous and extravagant artworks that consider space and environment first,” explains Associate Curator of Contemporary Art Leila Grothe. “Because they’re so grand, colorful, and elaborate, one might think them to be a bit ostentatious. But instead, de Nieves’ works are very honestly made of humble craft materials and treasures, like plastic beads and feathers, and through them the artist celebrates the everyday through modest means.”

Born in 1983 in Michoacan, Mexico, and based in Brooklyn, de Nieves learned traditional Latin American sewing and beadwork in school and alongside family members, and uses those approaches in his work, which pays tribute to his family, his homeland, and Mexican folk art. He also accumulates and adorns every surface of his sculptural figures–both human and animal–to create fantastical creatures immersed in deeply narrative environments, imbued with both Catholic imagery and Mexican folklore motifs. The embellished figures also refer to another central tenet of de Nieves’ aesthetic: self-expression within queer club culture.

Transforming the East Lobby into a Dreamscape

De Nieves’ works investigate themes of beauty and metamorphosis, the human body, and sexuality. While some of his earlier works explored the deep-seated grief after the loss of his father, he is now emerging into a new thematic focus on mutability–the ability to change and evolve. Change is inevitable; it is how we grow, adapt, survive. Change is also how we can understand ourselves, our bodies, the world around us, and have transcendent epiphanies.

“Focusing on such a prominent place within the museum, the Lobby Commission welcomes its community to new ideas and new voices that are often marginalized within the art community,” shares current Meyerhoff-Becker Curatorial Fellow Cynthia Hodge-Thorne.

The Clair Zamoiski Segal and Thomas H. Segal East Lobby is among the most public spaces in the Museum, and de Nieves’ works will greet each visitor with a lighthearted experience of fun, dazzle, and wonder that speaks to his ongoing admiration for moments of emergence and transformation in life.

De Nieves’ central installation piece will consist of a 27-pane faux stained-glass window showcasing moments of wild transformation and symbolic significance. Brood X cicadas, monarch butterflies, and a crested caracara falcon–which came to the artist in a dream–will be some of the transformational creatures depicted by de Nieves. With the passing of the sun, the multicolored light cast below will change throughout the day

Above the stairwell, de Nieves will suspend a multi-tiered chandelier depicting a human figure within a cocoon. The cocoon serves as a space for waiting, patience, and anticipation. Bead-encrusted figures will be seated on lobby benches, eager for direct connection with visitors. Lastly, the artist will also create a faux stained-glass lightbox installation continuing the theme of the larger window for the face of the East Lobby visitor services desk.

“De Nieves is a perfect artist for the BMA, because he revels in the beauty of every moment and doesn’t believe anyone needs special training to appreciate life,” continues Grothe. “As a proudly self-taught artist, de Nieves believes in empowering visitors to follow their own creativity. And we do, too!”

Supporting the Next Generation of Artists and Arts Professionals

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to present Raúl de Nieves’ evocative work, which embraces a range of artistic and cultural traditions and speaks powerfully to the experience of change,” says Asma Naeem, the Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director of the BMA. “This continues the vision of the Meyerhoff-Becker Commission, which engages our community with the work of pathbreaking artists and radically transforms our public spaces.”

“The BMA is committed to centering artists and voices who have been historically marginalized by the art world,” Grothe says about the Commission’s importance. “By commissioning artwork in collaboration with artists, we can leverage the resources of the Museum to support artists in exploring new directions.”

The Commission also includes the paid Meyerhoff-Becker Curatorial Fellowship, which supports an ascending art museum professional, who works on all aspects of the exhibition, including writing and editing an accompanying exhibition catalog.

“Working on this exhibition and catalog has given me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and stretch my creativity,” shares Hodge-Thorne, who was also instrumental in curating the initial exhibition of the Commission: Mickalene Thomas: A Moment’s Pleasure from November 2019 through May 2022. “With this fellowship, I can truly explore all aspects of exhibition creation from the very first sketches to helping the artist through installation.” By giving young professionals this opportunity for exhibition, curatorial and publication experience, the fellowship helps develop the new voices of art history for generations to come.

For The Record: Hip-Hop Conversation with Devin Allen at the Pratt Library

Wednesday, July 12, 6–8 p.m. Enoch Pratt Free Library

Free

Join renowned photographer Devin Allen at the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s downtown location (400 Cathedral St.) for a discussion about the evolution of hip-hop culture over the past 50 years.

Registration is encouraged. Visit prattlibrary.org for more information or to register for this event.

Panel Discussion: When Histories Collide

Thursday, September 14, 6:30 p.m.

Hear from the artists during an in-depth panel discussion prompted by the exhibition Histories Collide: Jackie Milad x Fred Wilson x Nekisha Durrett, which came to fruition through the BMA’s 2022 Artemis/Bast Open Call initiative. This program is open to all ages.

Visit artbma.org for more details and reservation information.

Free Family Sundays Pop-up Workshops

July 9, August 13, and September 10, 2 p.m.–5 p.m.

Join us on the second Sunday of each month for a series of pop-up Free Family Sunday workshops. Programs will be led by teaching artists and focus on works from the BMA collection and special exhibitions.

Visit artbma.org for more details.

All programs and events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.