‘ELEMENTAL’, EMBRACING THE FORCES OF NATURE IN YOUR HOME - KAlpa Gallry
AKIKO HIRAI (Japan/UK) | ceramic sculpture
ELEANOR HERBOSCH (Belgium) | earth painting
TOM PALMER (UK) | alabaster vessels
The new exhibition ELEMENTAL infuses the energy of mineral and earth into the Molteni Pavilion
KALPA celebrates the work of contemporary artists and designers Akiko Hirai, Eleanor Herbosch and Tom Palmer in the temporary exhibition ELEMENTAL, set in the refined interiors of Molteni Pavilion at the Compound in Giussano (Monza Brianza), until Fall 2025. Transcending geography and generations, the selected artworks deeply delve into the intrinsic qualities of mineral and earth. These primal substances have been intricately woven into the fabric of human civilization, as well as being a wellspring of creativity and a testament to the enduring bond between humanity and the very ground upon which we stand. Each work is imbued with these reflections and inspired by ancestral gestures and objects, inviting viewers to reconnect with the elemental energies that shape our being.
According to an all-around holistic vision of space that considers the environment, the human and the architectural, ELEMENTAL presents an elegant visual journey where the languages of art and craft suffuse the spirit of architecture. This is the second yearly exhibition curated by KALPA for the modernist-inspired building of the Pavilion, transforming this vibrant living space into an art sanctuary that encompasses personal connections and enhances the daily experience of the passersby.
Designed as an elegant display of sculptures and paintings dislocated in many areas of the Pavilion, ELEMENTAL incorporates three bespoke paintings by Eleanor Herbosch's Raw Umber series in raw earth, specifically in dialogue with Tom Palmer’s Vault Vessels in alabaster. Informed by a profound connection to nature and the art of Japanese calligraphy, Hersbosch’s creative gesture is to be found in her ritualistic practice and resembles a fracture and alternation of pause and motion. In the proximity of her paintings, Palmer’s alabaster vessels capture and echo an interplay of light and shade through their dynamic concave and convex surfaces, reflecting the verticality of the architectural lines of the Pavillion.
Finally, in an adjacent extension of the Pavilion, the exhibition continues with two ceramic sculptures of Akiko Hirai’s signature series Moon Jars, through which she revisits the traditional form of 18th-century Korean moon jars. Organic and evocative, her asymmetrical Moon Jars fully embrace the principles of wabi-sabi in which beauty is found in imperfection and contrast and lead the viewer into a dreamlike world created by the artist's spontaneous act of creation. All surprising and unique, these artworks foster a sense of balance and tranquility in the overall ambiance.
