Tschabalala SELF Keeper 2 - 2017-2020 Mirrored... Lot 89

Tschabalala SELF Keeper 2 - 2017-2020 Mirrored stainless steel, chains Signed and dated lower left (engraved) "Tschabalala Self 2020". 60 × 31 × 0.50 cm Mirror stainless steel, chains; signed and dated lower left (engraved) 23.62 × 12.20 × 0.20 in. Provenance : Pilar Corrias Gallery, London Acquired directly from the latter by the current owner Exhibitions : London, Pilar Corrias Gallery, Tschabalala Self: Bodega Run, September 7 - 27, 2017 Tschabalala SELF Born in 1990 in Harlem, a graduate of Bard College and the Yale school of Art, Tschabalala Self is an internationally renowned Afro-American artist. Beyond her status as an artist, she is a highly influential figure, appearing in Forbes magazine's famous 30 under 30 list in 2018. She has exhibited at the Flag Foundation (New York, 2024), Le Consortium (Dijon, 2021), Kunsthalle Düsseldorf (2021) and the Frye Art Museum (Seattle, 2019). His iconic sculpture Lady in Blue has just been selected for installation in Trafalgar Square in 2026. In the tradition of Romare Bearden's work, her use of materials is unconventional: she collects them and assembles them in what resembles patchworks. At the heart of her work and discourse is the representation of black women's bodies that "defy the narrow spaces in which they are forced to exist". Drawing on the history of African-American struggle and oppression in society, Self reclaims the black woman's body and depicts it outside any stereotype, "thus creating alternative narratives around the black body". Sometimes sexually explicit, the compositions aim to express the strength of the female subject, to give her back all her power. This work, entitled Keeper 2, was part of a landmark exhibition by artist Bodega Run, presented at Pilar Corrias Gallery in London in 2017. Through various installations (neon lights, sculptures, canvases) the artist reconstructs the world of the Bodega and looks again at the associated stereotypes to reconstruct its identity. Bodegas emerged with the arrival and settlement of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans in New York, and have traditionally been owned and operated by various communities of color. Found mainly in Black and Latino neighborhoods and occupying the main intersections of these areas, the bodega has become a geographical emblem of Manhattan's diaspora. "Keeper" appears floating, its mirror effect making it almost transparent. A figure both disquieting and protective, he is part of the fresco of characters reinterpreted by the artist. This sculpture reflects the artist's unique and delicate use of materials, as well as a strong desire to rewrite the history of the Afro-American community and deconstruct stereotypes. Born in 1990 in Harlem, and graduated from Bard College and the Yale school of Art, Tschabalala Self is an internationally renowned African-American artist. Beyond her status as an artist, she is also a highly influential figure, appearing in Forbes magazine's famous 30 under 30 list in 2018. Her exhibitions include the Flag Foundation (New York, 2024), Le Consortium (Dijon, 2021), Kunsthalle Düsseldorf (2021) and the Frye Art Museum (Seattle, 2019). His iconic sculpture Lady in Blue has just been selected for an installation in Trafalgar square in 2026. Inspired by the work of Romare Bearden, her use of materials is unconventional: she collects them and assembles them in what resembles patchworks. At the heart of her work and discourse is the representation of black women's bodies that "defy the narrow spaces in which they are forced to exist". Drawing on the history of African-American struggle and oppression in society, Self reclaims the black woman's body and depicts it outside any stereotype, "thus creating alternative narratives around the black body". Sometimes sexually explicit, the compositions aim to express the strength of the female subject, to give her back all her power. This work, entitled Keeper 2, was part of the artist's exhibition Bodega Run, presented at Pilar Corrias gallery in London in 2017. Through various installations (neon lights, sculptures, canvases) the artist reconstructs the world of the Bodega and looks again at the associated stereotypes to reconstruct its identity. Bodegas emerged with the arrival and settlement of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans in New York and have traditionally been owned and operated by various communities of color. Found primarily in the Black and Latino neighborhoods and occupying the main intersections of these areas, the bodega has become a geograph