Mother Tree is a project that aspires to question the preset values that we hold in the realms of art and design today. Diminutive in scale and high in intricacies, the sculptures are assembled entirely by hand without the aid of any tools or materials other than dyed foam clay. The works can best be described as meditative, intuitive and laborious, each sculpture taking up to months from start to finish.

The intention is to transport the viewer into imagined worlds different from our own, creating landscapes that are emotional and abstract, conjuring relationships between the viewer and the object that are personal and introspective while free from expectations.

Each piece speaks of the indomitable spirit and resilience of nature, of a perennial power for reinvention and reconfiguration – all virtues that are central for the perseverance of minority groups, for marginalized entities and outcasts. The works exhibited are part of the series Mother Tree, made in conjunction with SoMad, a New York based femme and queer led art space.

ABOUT SOMAD

Founded in 2018, SoMad is a femme and queer-led art space that serves as a platform for emerging artists to experiment, collaborate, and challenge conventions. SoMad empowers artists through a combined gallery and artist residency program, production house, and event space, emphasizing creative freedom and the absence of rigid expectations. The name, “SoMad,” reflects both the physical location—south of Madison Square Park—and the collective’s frustration with the current landscape of resources and support structures available for emerging artists, particularly artists from marginalized communities.

David Aliperti