Santiago Parra: Unconscious

JD Malat Gallery is pleased to present Unconscious, a solo exhibition by Santiago Parra, an internationally-recognised abstract artist, born in Bogotá, Colombia in 1986. Following ‘Black Matter’, Parra’s groundbreaking solo exhibition in St. Moritz, Switzerland, JD Malat Gallery is extremely proud to firstly showcase his most recent work in New York. 

Unconscious presents the viewers with seven large-scale monochromes, constituting a visual diary with a glimpse into the artist’s uncontrolled reservoir of feelings, thoughts and ideas. The show is particularly thrilling as Parra’s new paintings bring us back to his earlier body of work. It brings out a greater sense of tenderness, conveyed through Parra’s smoother application of brush strokes, which flow through the canvas, gradually weaving an infinite knot. 

Through incorporating marble dust into some of the paintings, the intriguing texture of Parra’s paintings allows one to further dive into the tones of blackness. The continuous line intertwines each artwork across the gallery into a single creature – Parra’s vigorous mind. The boldness of his paintings elevates the traditional understanding of abstract expressionism and calligraphy. The artist’s unique practice intersects with, and transforms these painterly genres, resulting in an enthralling experience. 

It is essential for Parra to enter a state of trance, during which the unconscious can take control of the brush. ‘There is a moment in this intense concentration where consciousness shuts down giving way to the unconscious mind, in this moment I enter a trance and begin to paint, it is only when I regain consciousness that I lift the brush, the process takes 3 or 4 seconds at most.’ – Santiago Parra.

Mesmerised by Parra’s unconscious, emancipated in a distinct visual form, the JD Malat gallery’s Founder Jean-David Malat highlights, ‘The captivating nature of Parra’s artworks is truly remarkable. I am delighted to introduce Santiago to the dynamic artistic scene in our gallery space in New York.’

In an audacious manner, Santiago Parra continues to reconceive abstract structures with his signature black paint and raw canvas, continuously growing and challenging his own artistic production. The large scale of the brand new body of work reflects his growth as an artist, as well as his growing influence in abstract expressionism on a global level. Parra firmly establishes his place in contemporary art history, bringing his expressive canvases to yet another international audience. The unleashed entities from Parra’s transcendental state will leave a mark through Unconscious at JD Malat Gallery’s exhibition space in New York, waiting for one to respond.