Part Japanese tradition, part contemporary sculpture, Canadian artist Cybèle Young's paper creations surpass the deftly folded art of origami. Celebrating that Fifth Avenue Forum Gallery presents 'Cybèle Young: some changes were made', the first New York solo exhibition dedicated to the Toronto-based artist.
Young takes on Japanese paper, which she embellishes with delicate copper and chine-collé etchings and then turns out miniature, multi-layered sculptures.'Cybèle's new work speaks of transformation', says Bob Fishko, who heads up the Forum Gallery.
For this exhibition, Young first created minute ordinary objects, such as change purses that are frequently lost by their owners, and then explores their evolvement into the realm of fantasy. For example, her 'How Does It Look for Tomorrow? (Lost-Umbrella)' a mini fragile umbrella morphs through five stages into abstract forms and a crinkly shaped floating jelly fish with trailing tentacles in a palette of delicate blues, taupe and white. It's an exacting art and, in some cases, are compromised of four hundred pieces which take more than three months to complete.
'I've long wanted to focus everyday objects that can be so easily lost and evolve sculpturally into fantasy,' says Young from her studio.
Her work has already captivated collectors as varied as the Japanese Empress Michko Shōda, shoe designer Christian Louboutin and financier George Soros. Plus, her idiosyncratic sculptures can be found in the Bank of Montreal and other corporate collections.
Originally trained as a metal sculptor, Young then examined the possibilities of paper as an art form. 'I realised my art school training in completing large steel sculptures gave me a background in taking two dimensional materials and forming three dimensional works,' says Young. From there she segued into paper sculpture. 'Although appearing fragile, Japanese art paper is exceedingly strong and can even go through heavy lithographic presses to produce vibrant colours,' she adds.
'At the end of the day, my tools - from embroidery sewing needles to slender scissors and X ACTO knives - all fit into a small box,' she explains.
‘How Does It Look for Tomorrow (Lost – umbrella),’ completed just this year, shows an enchanting evolution from a miniature parasol to a large jellyfish, tinted with delicate, earthy colours such as baby blue, light green and hazelnut brown.
Young's paper construction ‘You Know That Place (Lost guitar case)’ accentuates circular shapes with vivid colours such as bright red and fruity orange, and evokes a spicy combination of food and music, entailing immediate synaesthetic appeal. It further reflects the artist's desire to depict physical but also pysiological transformation.
‘Late in the Season (Lost- lawn chair)’ merges the form of lawn chairs with that of a water-lily pond, and, like the majority of Young's work, suggests an implicit return to nature and handicraft.
Almost Enough (Lost – change purse)’ starts out with the shape of a purse and extrapolates to that of a traditional Japanese dragon, coated with multiple blue shadings and sensually curling upon itself.
‘Just Around the Edges (Lost – glasses)’ once again exemplifies Young's sculptural poetry as regular glasses transform into a myriad of Asian fish, growing larger and larger, seemingly coming to life.
ADDRESS
730 Fifth Avenue, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10019
-
William Kentridge's fluid sculptures are a vivid addition to the Yorkshire landscapeWilliam Kentridge has opened the first major exhibition to focus on his sculptures outside of South Africa at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
-
David Cronenberg’s ‘The Shrouds’ is the film for our post-truth digital ageThe film director draws on his own experience of grief for this techno conspiracy thriller
-
Cambridge Audio's new earbuds offer premium performance without denting your pocketThe Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 earbuds demonstrate just how far affordable audio tech has come in the last decade
-
‘Her pictures looked like pictures everybody knew were the truth’: Diane Arbus at the ArmoryMatthieu Humery curates more than 400 of Arbus’ photographs at New York’s Park Avenue Armory – every picture she was known to have printed
-
Mystic, feminine and erotic: the power of Penny Slinger’s bodies as landscapeArtist Penny Slinger continues her exploration of the sacred, surreal feminine in a Santa Monica exhibition, ‘Meeting at the Horizon’
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt was a jam-packed week for the Wallpaper* staff, entailing furniture, tech and music launches and lots of good food – from afternoon tea to omakase
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been up to this weekThis week saw the Wallpaper* team jet-setting to Jordan and New York; those of us left in London had to make do with being transported via the power of music at rooftop bars, live sets and hologram performances
-
Photographer Geordie Wood takes a leap of faith with first film, DiversGeordie Wood delved into the world of professional diving in Fort Lauderdale for his first film
-
New book celebrates 100 years of New York City landmarks where LGBTQ+ history took placeMarc Zinaman’s ‘Queer Happened Here: 100 Years of NYC’s Landmark LGBTQ+ Places’ is a vital tribute to queer culture
-
A major Takashi Murakami exhibition sees the world in kaleidoscopic colourThe Cleveland Art Museum presents 'Takashi Murakami 'Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow', exploring outrage and escapist fantasy
-
Ai Weiwei’s new public installation is coming soon to Four Freedoms State Park‘Camouflage’ by Ai Weiwei will launch the inaugural Art X Freedom project in September 2025, a new programme to investigate social justice and freedom
