At Antonio Colombo’s gallery spring arrives early

2 years ago

Giorgia Massari

What the Canadian painter Ryan Heshka depicts is a “mad and wild world” populated by non-human beings, an alternative parallel reality or perhaps the survivalist version of our planet after a climatic crisis or a technological singularity of epic proportions. As stated by curator Ivan Quaroni, “It matters little. What counts is that described by Ryan Heshka is a fantastic universe, populated by masked pin-ups, formidable femmes fatales, bizarre chimeras, space monsters, superheroes, and subhumans.” This universe arrives at the Antonio Colombo gallery in Milan from February 15th, with Heshka’s solo exhibition titled Springs to Come. Let’s find out more about the works on display.

The works on display

The exhibition features a dialogue between about thirty works, including oils on canvas and mixed media, gouache and pencil on paper, exploring the artist’s recent production. This exhibition marks a turning point from the dark tones of the previous 2018 Midnight Movie exhibition. Ivan Quaroni explains that Heshka, on this occasion, is guided by the idea of rebirth, both formal and creative, focused on the concepts of germination, blooming, and proliferation. These concepts are not limited only to the creation of new characters but also extend to the definition of new ideas. The curator emphasizes the originality of the Canadian artist in projecting a carousel of vibrant and luminous organic forms through his canvases. The works, dominated by a happy range of bright colors such as straw yellow, bright red, and intense green, curiously recall the chromatic palette of the leader of the Neue Leipziger Schule, Neo Rauch. The exhibition also includes sketches, studies, drafts, and projects on paper, offering an overview of the artist’s organic and planned creative process.

A post-human landscape

Quaroni quotes Heshka when the latter states: “My new works represent the advent of spring after a long winter.” Spring is visible not only in the vibrant colors of the works but also in the natural landscape that is located “between a post-apocalyptic Eden and an alien Garden of Delights.” The theme of the landscape, already present in previous works such as Romance of Canada, evolves into a new Jurassic geography, characterized by uncertain and extraordinary morphologies. Heshka’s painting, inspired by science fiction comics and B-Movies, offers a current perspective on the hypothesis of a post-human world, reflecting on the collective unconscious in the era of civilization’s decline.