Red hot: Oscar Tusquets Blanca's sexually-charged display at Room One

Display room, slate grey floor, white wall and ceiling with spotlights, windows letting in light far wall, red wall surround display with female erotic art along the top, wooden stool on a red viewing platform with artwork above on a red wall front of shot

For his UK gallery debut, Spanish artist Oscar Tusquets Blanca has assembled two customised 'Gaulino' chairs and 50 erotic oil paintings to create a sexually-charged show at Room One in Clerkenwell

(Image credit: Courtesy Oscar Tusquets Blanca and Room One)

By Ali Morris

last updated 24 August 2022

in Features

Given the long and illustrious career of the multi-talented Spanish artist Oscar Tusquets Blanca, it's surprising to learn that his new solo show at Room One gallery in Clerkenwell, London is his first ever in the UK.

Born in 1941 in Barcelona, Tusquets began his career in the 60s as an architect and now counts several exhibition halls in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and the Toledo metro station in Naples among his built works. As a furniture designer he co-designed the 'Dalilips' sofa in 1975 with his good friend Salvador; he was a founding member of design company BD Barcelona; and several of his furniture designs are now held in the collections of MoMA in New York and the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris. He has written several critically-acclaimed books and his paintings have been displayed in galleries across Europe.

For his UK gallery debut, Tusquets has gathered two of his limited edition 'Gaulino' chairs (originally designed in 1989 and produced by BD Barcelona) and 50 erotic oil paintings, called Hot Days, that depict female nudes in a sequence of provocative poses. Naturally, the artist also took charge of the exhibition design, creating a low walled enclosure painted scarlet red to match the firey hue used across his paintings.

Tying in with the exhibition's erotic theme, one of the elegantly poised, limited edition 'Gaulino' chairs has been customised by Tusquets with a pair of hand painted buttocks emblazoned across its contoured seat. Explaining the origin of the chair's unusual name, Tusquets comments, 'The chair took on a shape that was reminiscent of Antoni Gaudí and the 1950s Italian designer Carlo Mollino. For that reason... we decided to call it "Gaulino".'

In addition, Tusquets has published a limited edition Art Book in collaboration with Umberto Allemandi. Just 200 copies are available, with each one featuring a personalised watercolour by Tusquets on the title page.

Raised view of display room, slate grey floor, white wall and ceiling with spotlights, windows letting in light far wall, red wall surround display with female erotic art along the top, wooden stool on a red viewing platform with artwork above on a red wall front of shot, black table and chair bottom right — Called 'Hot Days: 50 Paintings and a Chair', the exhibition showcases the acclaimed architect, designer, writer and painter's multi-disciplinary talents

Two oil paintings, left: naked woman, orange bob style hair, long detailed necklaces, legs crossed at a wooden stool at a bar, male bartender behind the bar, red carpet Right: topless female wearing long black gloves, hands over her eyes, black hair, red lipstick, red background — The oil paintings depict female nudes in a sequence of provocative erotic poses

Display room, slate grey floor, white wall and ceiling with spotlights, windows letting in light left side and far wall, red wall surround display with female erotic art along the top, wooden stool on a red viewing platform with artwork above on a red wall front of shot, black table and chair front left — Tusquets also took charge of the exhibition design, creating a low walled enclosure painted scarlet red to match the background of his paintings

Left: Tusquets sat in an art studio painting a chair frame red, blurred artwork propped up on the floor, neutral floor Right: Red wooden chair, buttocks design seat, red floor and wall — One of the elegantly poised 'Gaulino' chairs has been customised by Tusquets with a pair of hand painted buttocks emblazoned across its contoured seat

Display room, slate grey floor, white wall and ceiling with spotlights, windows letting in light right side and, red wall surround display with female erotic art along the top, black table and chairs far left, female erotic artwork on far wall — In addition, Tusquets has published a limited edition *Art Book* in collaboration with Umberto Allemandi

INFORMATION

'Hot Days: 50 Paintings and a Chair' is on view until 31 October

Photography courtesy Oscar Tusquets Blanca and Room One

ADDRESS

Room One
12–14 Berry Street
London, EC1V 0AU

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Ali Morris is a UK-based editor, writer and creative consultant specialising in design, interiors and architecture. In her 16 years as a design writer, Ali has travelled the world, crafting articles about creative projects, products, places and people for titles such as Dezeen, Wallpaper* and Kinfolk.