Zoumboulakis Gallery is delighted to present Clara Cebrián’s first solo exhibition in Greece, titled “Hello Adulthood”, that opens on Thursday 1 June 2023.
In her first major solo exhibition in Athens, Clara Cebrián explores what it means to be an adult in today’s world, contrasting stereotypes that accompany adulthood with childhood fantasies.
Cebrián’s multi-dimensional work intertwines ideas of abstraction, representation and materiality as she elaborates a set of iconographic and autobiographical references, imbuing the simplest objects and situations with intense narrative content. In ‘Hello Adulthood’ Cebrián salutes adult identity by forming a universe of spontaneous thoughts that touch on issues of socially acceptable ‘adult’ behavior and activities.
In her pictorial narratives, adulthood takes the form of a high mountain peak which we struggle to reach only to discover that this peak is ultimately a vast flat land that requires effort for constant growth. Her imaginative works trigger a plethora of associations from repetitive patterns that hark back to the idea of routine and stability, to domestic objects and tasks that pay homage to the meticulous domestic organization that parents usually propose to their underage children. In her playful sculptural installations, she intertwines applied and fine arts by incorporating materials collected during her travels. Her sense of self is not static, but is constantly evolving and changing. Cebrian assigns symbolic value both metaphorically and literally to social roles, experiences and objects, inviting us to consider the weight we accumulate and the impact this has on the construction of an adult identity that is not defined solely by biological development or institutionalized criteria.
By bringing them to the fore, Cebrián wishes to refute dominant perceptions and propose a release from the burdens and prejudices of imposed behaviors. With catalytic humor, she approaches adulthood and the so-called maturity as an open-ended concept.
During the opening, the visitors are invited to interact with the work, while in the presence of the artist and while following her directions.
Curated by: Georgia Liapi
Short Bio:
Clara Cebrián (1991, Spain) graduated in 2013 with a BA in Design for Interactive and Moving Image at the London College of Communication. In her work she approaches abstraction reflecting her own creative universe inspired by her day to day life, with figurative details mixed with words, which narrate places of memory, passing emotions and the reality of her own studio. In 2015 she held her first solo exhibition in the Slowtrack gallery in Madrid, titled «Bullfighters and Rockets», and has held four solo exhibitions since including, «Made in China», at We Collect, Madrid, «Toreros y Cohetes», at Slowtrack, Madrid and the Performance, «IKEAA» at Cerámicas Suro, GDL, México, while she has participated in numerous group exhibitions around the world. In 2018 she was a resident of Proyectote Residency, organized by Galeria Hispanica, Mexico. In 2020 she had a Solo Booth at Salon Acme Art Fair, in Mexico City and, she was the artist-in-residence in Residency Hotel el Ganzo, Baja california, Mexico. In October 2023 she will attend the Art Residency, Utopias Domesticas, Casabanchel in Madrid, Spain. She was awarded the Video Talent Award (2013), from Banco Santander Foundation in Spain. For her work she has been featured in VOGUE Spain, EL CULTURAL, Piece With Artist, ABC CULTURAL, DesignBoom amongst other international press. Clara Cebrián currently lives and works between Madrid, Sicily and Mexico.
