Recently in New York, James Cohan raised the curtain on “These Days,” a vivacious presentation of new artworks by the visionary Alexandre da Cunha, currently on view through December 21. The artist’s inaugural show with the prestigious gallery profoundly impresses at 48 Walker Street, drawing in visitors with a symphony of sculptures and wall-mounted creations. Da Cunha unearths the hypnotic elegance of those objects that we may take for granted day to day, deftly lifting them from a purely cultural context and placing them into an artistic one. Pointing to meaningful themes of consumption and labor, as well as drawing from art historical movements including Tropicália and Arte Povera, the thoughtful artist unlocks new, lush connections between life, philosophy, and creativity.
Alexandre da Cunha portrait; Photo by Benedikt Frank. Courtesy the artist and James Cohan, New York.
Installation view, Alexandre da Cunha, “These Days,” James Cohan, 48 Walker Street, New York, October 25 – December 21, 2024. Courtesy the artist and James Cohan, New York. Photo by Dan Bradica.
“These Days” Joins Da Cunha’s Illustrious Global Presentations
Da Cunha’s visceral creative language has been presented in solo shows at premier spaces such as Galeria Luisa Strina, São Paulo, Brazil; Thomas Dane Gallery, London; Brighton CCA, Brighton, England; Royal Society of Sculptors, London, England; Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Chicago, IL; Centro Cultural São Paulo, São Paulo, and Camden Arts Centre, London.
In addition, the artist’s captivating works are held in the private and institutional collections of the Droom en Daad Foundation, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; ICA Boston, Boston MA, USA; Inhotim, Brumadinho, Brazil; Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Chicago, IL; Museu de Arte de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, Brazil; and Tate, England.
Installation view, Alexandre da Cunha, “These Days,” James Cohan, 48 Walker Street, New York, October 25 – December 21, 2024. Courtesy the artist and James Cohan, New York. Photo by Dan Bradica.
The Artist’s Concrete Portals into the Unknown
The London and São Paulo-based artist’s masterful use of concrete spotlights his deep meditations on modern architecture and construction, as well as echoes the material’s widespread use in Da Cunha’s birthplace of Brazil.
Sweeping concrete installations immerse audiences in the tones and textures of diverse urban landscapes, further enhanced by intricate connective mechanisms. The artist does not shy away from the emotions of transitional states of being, allowing materials to flow, merge, and blend at melodic intervals in each and every piece. New sculptures spotlight surreal and whimsical looping forms derived from industrially produced manholes; no matter the weight of these structures, in Da Cunha’s proficient hands each installation becomes a seemingly weightless portal into the magnificent unknown.
Installation view, Alexandre da Cunha, “These Days,” James Cohan, 48 Walker Street, New York, October 25 – December 21, 2024. Courtesy the artist and James Cohan, New York. Photo by Dan Bradica.
The Vitral Series of Sleek Design Unfolds
Within the dynamic Vitral series, visitors will discover wooden shovel handles swathed with cloth in all the colors of the rainbow. Here, a treasure of sleek design unfolds, offering clever titles such as Den, inner garden, and Atrium, which allude to the vibrant rooms of modernist homes. The artist’s meaningful choice of colors references the pulsating heart and soul of these domestic dwellings—whether in chic furnishings or perhaps the effervescent figures who inhabit them.
Installation view, Alexandre da Cunha, “These Days,” James Cohan, 48 Walker Street, New York, October 25 – December 21, 2024. Courtesy the artist and James Cohan, New York. Photo by Dan Bradica.
Considering Global Mass Consumption with the Personal and the Commercial
In intense consideration of global mass consumption, as well as the juxtaposition of the human-made and natural realms, “These Days” brings together the myriad of objects that fill our lives. Personal brushes, keys, bottles, and belts meet with commercial glass, plastic, and concrete. Awe-inspiring and at times quite playful, the artist reveals these familiar objects and materials back to use in a not-so-familiar light.
The Ikebanas series highlights the mark we leave on this earth today, contemplating the implications for tomorrow. Further, the artist’s Exile series of gouache paintings on paper are shown in their largest format yet. Framed sans glazing so as to form as intimate a union as possible with those gazing upon them, each piece traverses streams of time and space, interior and exterior, in lightness and in darkness. Created by Da Cunha while moving between studios, the ideal, notebook-sized works mesmerize and provoke with evocative titles like Exile (Field of Lust (2024) and Exile (Crystal Clear) (2024).
Installation view, Alexandre da Cunha, “These Days,” James Cohan, 48 Walker Street, New York, October 25 – December 21, 2024. Courtesy the artist and James Cohan, New York. Photo by Dan Bradica.
ALEXANDRE DA CUNHA, “Vitral (Rosetta),” 2024,
Shovel handles, t-shirts, cleaning cloth, bed sheet, tea towel, hand towel, sarong, fabric cut outs, 80 3/4 x 80 3/4 x 2 3/8 in., 205 x 205 x 6 cm; Courtesy the artist and James Cohan.
Installation view, Alexandre da Cunha, “These Days,” James Cohan, 48 Walker Street, New York, October 25 – December 21, 2024. Courtesy the artist and James Cohan, New York. Photo by Dan Bradica.
