"Tela para cortar" exhibition by Sebastián Gutiérrez and Uziel Orlandi at Nearby Gallery

Left: art work by Sebastián Gutiérrez, Right: art work by Uziel Orlandi 

Tela para cortar (Fabric to cut), is a phrase in Spanish commonly used to refer to a topic, that to address it, requires dwelling on several nuances, and involves further meticulous interpretations and analysis. For this exhibition curated by A R E A founder David Guerra, Puerto Rican artists Sebastian Gutierrez and Uziel Orlandi use textiles to expose dimensions of consciousness, and seek a new visual language.

Sebastian’s double layered interactive portraits, playing with the grotesque and the whimsical, are metaphors for emotional and physical activities, part of the everyday human experience that viewers may see as their own.

Left: art work by Sebastián Gutiérrez, Right: art work by Uziel Orlandi 

Both artists are led by curiosity, either towards strangers or realities we ignore. While Sebastian covers the inner layer of the works with fabric to mirror the desire of dissecting or unveiling someone’s identities, Uziel’s installations uncover imaginary worlds for escape. Through engraving, stencil and airbrush on textiles, Uziel creates a system of hieroglyphs that maps the shapes and movements of the subconscious, and reveals what’s hidden in the fabric.

Where would the medium take you? What are the limits of the material? What surprise or accident will arise? What’s left to discover? Such questions are prompted in Tela para cortar, the first presentation of the artists in Boston. Engaging the spectator through unlimited possibilities drives the practice of these artists who hope that viewers feel immersed, seen and included.

About the artists

Sebastián Gutiérrez is an artist born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1996. He studied at Escuela de Artes Plásticas (School of Visual Arts) in Old San Juan where he specialized in sculpture. In 2013 he started painting murals in different mural festivals alongside Colectivo Moriviví. In 2015, he moved to the US for three years where he worked in interior design projects and got involved in fashion, the world of drag, and textiles. Sebastian has exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico and at galleries in Texas, LA, Washington D.C., and NY. His work has been acquired by private collections in San Juan.

Uziel Orlandi is an artist born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1988. He studied at the School of Fine Arts of the University of Puerto Rico where he focused on graphic design and printmaking. Uziel’s latest projects integrate installations and elements from video and performance. He is also the co-founder of El Co.Ca (T-shirt Collective). As a designer, Uziel has created a clothing line, and works on pattern design, animation, comics and ceramic sculptures. He has participated in numerous individual and group shows, and created multiple murals all over San Juan.

Both artists currently live and work in San Juan.

The exhibition is on view through february 22, 2022. More info: https://www.nearbygallery.com/