Kiki Smith's Feline and Avian Sculptures at Raffaella Cortese in Milan
Kiki Smith's exhibition 'The Cat Himself Knows' at Galleria Raffaella Cortese in Milan presents a whimsical ecosystem of polychrome wooden cat and pigeon sculptures, marking a departure from her intimate themes. The show includes watercolor drawings on Japanese paper from the 'Empath' series, featuring delicate, colorful figures against blank backgrounds. This is the second chapter of a narrative begun in 2019 with 'Guardiane,' bronze totemic sleeping cats created for CityLife's sculpture garden, inspired by the feline community of Castello Sforzesco. The exhibition runs from May 2023.
Key facts
- Kiki Smith was born in Nuremberg in 1954.
- The exhibition is titled 'The Cat Himself Knows,' referencing a T.S. Eliot poem.
- The show features wooden sculptures of cats and pigeons.
- Watercolor drawings on Japanese paper are part of the 'Empath' series.
- The 2019 'Guardiane' sculptures were bronze sleeping cats for CityLife.
- The feline community of Castello Sforzesco inspired the 2019 works.
- The exhibition is at Galleria Raffaella Cortese in Milan.
- The show is described as fairy-tale and dreamlike.
Entities
Artists
- Kiki Smith
Institutions
- Galleria Raffaella Cortese
- CityLife
- Castello Sforzesco
Locations
- Milan
- Italy
- Nuremberg
- Germany