Angela de la Cruz's 'Upright' at Ikon Gallery

Angela de la Cruz's first UK institutional exhibition since her 2010 Turner Prize nomination, 'Upright' at Ikon Gallery in Birmingham, runs until 6 September. The show features works like 'Still Life with Table' (2000), a black canvas consuming a table, and 'Bloated 111 (Blue)' (2012), a hammered aluminium cushion. De la Cruz, born in Spain and UK-based since the late 1980s, blends Minimalism with anthropomorphic, emotional elements. A new commission, 'Blister' (2026), created with Birmingham Royal Ballet, uses blood-red aluminium and ballet-shoe pink fabric. The artist, who suffered a stroke in 2005, now works with assistants, describing her process as directing a film. Her work channels influences from art history, literature, and personal experience, often using furniture as human surrogates.