Several weeks ago we got to visit the studio of Sainer, one of two members of the infamous Etam Cru from Poland. We wanted to check out the groundbreaking new body of work for his upcoming Paris show opening on the 2nd of December at Openspace Gallery, as well as to hear what else the street art duo is up to these days.
Some two months after his partner Bezt had a solo show in NYC (covered), Sainer will be opening what is shaping up to be his most daring exhibition to date. The two artists responsible for some of the most recent striking murals worldwide, are currently putting their collaborative work to rest and developing their individual careers. With their private lives heading in different directions, the two high school friends are now living a few hours away from each other so they decided to focus on their own work instead of trying to pursue their previous practice. They still collaborate on murals and projects that fit their schedules, but are more focused on improving their own visual languages and techniques.
In such an effort, Sainer has been working on his Chaotic Harmony show in Paris. Taking the gallery space into account as a guideline to showcase his artistic progress, he prepared 3 or 4 different styles of work, each presented in a different section of the venue. Starting with his most recognizable works that mix his distinctive painterly skills with playful yet eerie surreal settings, the works gradually give way to more minimalist and graphic paintings. Stripped of excessive details, these fresh pieces mix vibrant colors and drawing-like elements with more elaborate imagery, influenced by personal life and urban culture. Also part of the exhibition are very minimalist landscape works and also fully abstract compositions in which Sainer is exploring an entirely new field of expression.
Along with these acrylics on canvas and panels, the Polish artist has prepared a series of new drawings in which he successfully mixes meticulous ink line work with spray painted light and shadow effects. Brave and confident, the upcoming show is set to be a milestone event in the career of this young artist and we’re looking forward to seeing it installed in Paris.
Photo credit: Sasha Bogojev for Arrested Motion.
Discuss Etam Cru here.
