In his characteristically gray, monochrome palette, Hans Op de Beeck‘s current solo exhibition Whispered Tales at Templon fashions enigmatic narratives from lifelike silhouettes. The immersive, sprawling presentation brings together a mix of new and previous work, inviting viewers into an atmospheric, introspective space.
People and dioramas appear frozen in time in Op de Beeck’s sculptures, as if plucked from a memory or dream. “Zhai-Lia (Angel),” for example, portrays a young girl wearing fairy wings and a holding a wand, seated pensively in front of a swathe of bamboo. In “Zhai-Lia (mother’s shoes),” she wears a tutu and oversized high heels.
The artist often depicts children who interact with the adult world yet remain innocent to concerns beyond their own, channeling the engrossing otherworldliness of youthful imagination and play. The invariable flatness of the gray palette makes the figures appear removed from reality, while lending a universal feel to their presence.
Time also finds purchase in works like “Danse Macabre,” in which a miniature carousel is raised to eye level on a pole and a skeleton stands amid celestial objects in Victorian-era garments. Along with a sculpture titled “Vanitas Table” in which a classic still life setting features a human skull, Op de Beeck taps into the tradition of memento mori, the reminder that life inevitably ends.
“The way the artist plays with the perception of scale and atmosphere sparks a disconnect, a feeling of strangeness when confronted with scenes lifted out of the ordinary,” says a gallery statement. “Each work offers us the seed of yet another possible story … [and] transforms the prosaic into an almost magical experience where simplicity gives birth to the unexpected.”
Whispered Tales continues through December 21 in New York. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.
