Nice to meet you

Against a fan of light, a black silhouette holds its own face in its hand, removed like a mask. Where the face just sat, a turquoise skull gleams. Nice to meet you: whoever looks behind their own facade encounters themselves, and their own mortality.

Encounters

Encounters lie at the heart of the exhibition: with other people, with our surroundings, with ourselves. In his works, SAM3 poses classic philosophical questions about identity, transience and our place in the world. He observes human coexistence with a gaze that is ironic, poetic and, above all, provocative.

Silhouettes in the City

SAM3 made a name for himself with his silhouette-like murals, some of them as tall as houses, which often refer to their immediate urban surroundings. Giant black figures and animals seem to wander along facades, reach for things in the street or watch over passers-by. In this way, the image enters into a dialogue with its environment, and the city itself becomes part of the story.

Less Is More

SAM3 rarely needs more than black and white. The bright turquoise in the exhibition motif is therefore a real exception in his work. It is precisely this restraint, together with his partly graphic style, that gives his images their unusual presence. Despite, or precisely because of, their simplicity, they invite engagement and reveal their message little by little. His works are dominated by figurative elements in a state of metamorphosis with their surroundings. Roots are an important stylistic element: they grow out of his figures as fantastically ornate structures, as if humans and nature were merging into one another.

About the Artist

Born in Spain, SAM3 currently lives in Madrid but paints all over the world, often creating not just images but entire stories. He tells them in his experimental stop-motion short films, in which his figures wander across walls, grow and transform.

"Nice to meet you"
SAM3

Opening
Friday, 7 May 2010, 7 – 11 pm

Exhibition
7 May – 4 June 2010

Pretty Portal
Brunnenstraße 12
40223 Düsseldorf