Kyle Coniglio's 'Gigas' at Capsule Shanghai Explores Power and Fragility
Capsule Shanghai showcases 'Gigas', the inaugural solo exhibition of Kyle Coniglio, which includes new drawings and paintings. This exhibition constructs a fictional landscape where beauty intertwines with danger, inhabited by colossal figures and fragile humans. Coniglio transitions from portraying vulnerable male forms to examining their environment. The giants represent unquenchable desire and modern aspirations of authority and control. In 'Gigas 1' (2026), a massive figure rises from a blazing setting, both alluring and fearsome. Conversely, 'Gigas 2' presents a giant with a soft demeanor, interrupted by a smaller character. Coniglio's landscapes echo current anxieties, drawing inspiration from the Hudson River School, prompting contemplation of the forces that influence our physical and emotional experiences.
Key facts
- Kyle Coniglio's first solo exhibition at Capsule Shanghai is titled 'Gigas'.
- The exhibition features new paintings and drawings by Coniglio.
- Coniglio was born in 1988 in New Jersey, USA.
- The works in 'Gigas' mark a shift from direct depiction of vulnerable male bodies to portraying the world they inhabit.
- The giants in the paintings are portrayed as avatars of insatiable consumption, not heroic protagonists.
- All works in the exhibition are dated 2026.
- Coniglio relocated to New York's Hudson Valley, home of the Hudson River School.
- The painting 'Miasma Mountains' was created during a haze of wildfire smoke in northern America.
- Graphite-and-chalk drawings in the exhibition feature a recurring motif of a mirrored disco ball.
- The exhibition explores themes of desire, power, and fragility.
Entities
Artists
- Kyle Coniglio
Institutions
- Capsule Shanghai
Locations
- New Jersey
- USA
- New York
- Hudson Valley
- Shanghai
- China