IRENE ALVAREZ | THE WORK
STATEMENT
Irene Alvarez studied Fine Art in Madrid and completed her Masters in Sculpture winning the Vincke Soeurs Prize for the best academic year in sculpture.
Combining mediums, Alvarez produces illustrations and is stimulated by their inherent potential to be fully materialised. Every drawing created is open to fully transform into an object. It is her aspiration to allow them to become more present and weight heavy where textures and tangible colours appear.
Current works explores methods of associating drawings with tapestry. Weaving has become the preferred technique for execution as the finished piece invites the viewer to physically engage. For Alvarez, this proves to be a significant process in generating a new form of visual effect. Her cartoonish drawings evoke a sense of entertainment through the use of ironic, satiric and westernised references.
South American art has progressively fuelled her creative process by means of searching for images to work upon. Alvarez’s imagination fervidly creates multiple sketches to render a visual composition that can be built upon.
Through further inspirations of pop and ethnic culture, the work draws value upon clashing symbols that form a rupture in providing new modes of meaning to both western references and ancient archetypes.
CV
GROUP SHOWS
DOM KINO, San Petersburg, Russia, 2003
ARTEPOLIS, Madrid, 2004
ESPACIO TANGENTE, Burgos, 2004
IV FESTIVAL OF JAZZ, Talavera, 2005
AFSTUDEERPROJECTEN, Antwerp, 2007
THE NUNNERY GALLERY, London, 2008
DEUTSCHE POST BANK, London, April 2008
VERBEKE FOUNDATION, Kemzeke, 2009
PARK 02, Antwerp, 2009
PARK 03, Antwerp, 2009
RA EXHIBITION, Paris, 2010
THE CENTER FOR ENDLESS PROGRESS, BERLIN, 2010
MUSEUMSQUARTIER WIEN, QUARTIER 21 ¨Get in the Haze¨ curated by LLiure Briz, Vienna 19/05 - 05/09 2011
SOLO SHOW
¨Turn Me OP¨ HUNTING AND COLLECTING, BRUSSELS 23/06-14/07 2011
WORK EXPERIENCE
INTI ALTAR, 2009, commissioned art work for RA13, Antwerp, Belgium.
Sculpture assistant for Frederik Heyman (Mercedes project)
T-shirt illustrations in collaboration with ªLABELBY Mic Eaton Homme
RESIDENCIES
MUSEUMSQUARTIER21 WIEN residency July 2011
PUBLICATIONS
MOOD MEDIA The Book Edition 10
WALLPAPER January 2010
GESPOT ART+SCENERY issue ZERO-MMX