Contemporary Sculpture is the work of Gabriel Niquete, a contemporary Mexican sculptor living and working in Merida, Mexico. In his work, he develops an organic sculptural language with the aid of natural motifs. For this reason, in his current series Ku Noul' ech, he presents ceramic trees as "beings" and creates what he calls "ecosystems."
Palm Trees and my Universe of Sculptures.
Interview by Julio Perdomo, founder of Perdomo Gallery.
The following interview was conducted at the artist's studio in Merida.
So, I've heard you live in paradise. There is a popular phrase, 'If the world ends, I'm moving to Merida,' how does your environment influence your work?
Mérida is full of trees. It is a city surrounded by nature, but it is also a city of interiors; houses, patios, and hidden gardens. Moreover, Merida's rich interiors animate every corner and alleyway. In my current series, I focus on Yucatecan trees, the trees on the main streets that provide shade and freshness in the south's suffocating heat. It is also a tribute to my production space, a large garden covered with trees in Cholul, Yucatán.
I've noticed your contemporary sculpture work has a real rustic look like they have been squeezed and cuddled. How did this idea come to you?
The twisted shapes and squeezed volumes have been a constant in my work for several years now. Indeed, my twisted forms are a metaphor for the entrails of living beings. The organic forms manifest themselves naturally and express movement and vitality.
How do you choose the scenarios and personages represented in your work?
They are a simulation of real events and situations, but I situate them in their fictional ecosystem of twisted and organic forms.
You represent both people and nature, like palm trees, etc.; how do these distinct themes relate?
I represent both people and nature. All my sculptures are characters that live in their fictional ecosystems, that is, in my universe of sculptures. Each series is a world, and each figure is a living being. The palm trees, the soldiers, the disconnected antennas are all living beings with limbs and movement.
Palm Trees and my Universe of Sculptures.
