StolenSpace is excited to present 'Clipped Wings', a powerful and striking new body of work by Canadian artist Sandra Chevrier, and her 2nd solo exhibition with StolenSpace.
There is a particular kind of violence in being taught how far you are allowed to fly. Clipped Wings explores the tension between freedom and restraint, vulnerability and survival, desire and the forces that keep us grounded. Through fragmented bodies, intimate embraces, wounded faces, and birds caught between flight and captivity, the works inhabit a space where tenderness and violence coexist. The bird has long been a symbol of freedom. Yet a bird does not need to be behind bars to be imprisoned. Sometimes the cage is invisible. Sometimes the wings are still there, but something has taught us not to use them. In these paintings, figures seem caught in moments of suspension; holding one another, protecting one another, consuming one another.
As in previous works, juxtaposing deeply human figures with fragments drawn from the world of comic books. These fictional characters become almost ghostlike presence, they are projections of emotions, memories, and fantasies that inhabit our relationships. They evoke the stories and mythologies that surrounded us as we grew up, shaping our ideas of love, femininity, masculinity, power, and heroism. By removing these characters from their original narratives and weaving them into intimate and often fragile human moments, Sandra explores the tension between being seen and being defined, between being admired and being possessed by the gaze of others. The women are framed, but they are also confronting the viewer.
For further information, and expanded artist statement, please visit the exhibition page.
To view detailed images, please click on each piece.
Please send any enquiries through the enquiry buttons within the preview, or please email: gallery@stolenspace.com and we would be happy to help chat through details for any pieces of consideration.