On Thursday, the 30th of October, Sainer and Bezt, teamed up as Etam Cru, opened their first Italian show at Varsi Gallery in Rome. The young artistic duo that has been getting a lot of attention with their large scale murals worldwide but also with their fine art works, introduced a new body of work titled Bedtime Stories.
For this show, the Polish artists created a coherent installation, painting the walls and floor of the gallery with their recognizable symbols – skulls, mushrooms, crowns, etc. Introducing mostly large canvases done by each artist, the major theme of the show was capturing that peculiar moment between being awake and being asleep. In such a state, their surrealistic imagery becomes possible, as reality enters the dream and vice versa. The pieces such as Blueberry Dreams by Sainer, Lost Friend by Bezt, or their large collaborative piece Bedtime Stories, are good examples of this subject matter. Capturing the tranquility of sleep along with the unpredictivness of dreams, the images balance between calming and uncertain. Their signature use of colors, which includes pastel tones juxtaposed against over saturated ones, and their noticeable light effect, give these works the stronger feel of alternate reality. Along with large acrylics on canvas, Sainer created couple of large drawings using graphite and white crayon, confidently tackling and conquering this new technique and medium.
Photo credit: Andrea Concina.
Discuss Etam Cru here.
