A Studio in the Gallery: The Playful Universe of Ignacio Iturria

Ignacio Iturria is one of Uruguay’s most accomplished and important artists, having represented his country at the Venice Biennale in 1995. For more than four decades, he has examined society in profound and poetic ways, creating works that invite us to view the world with amusement and hope, and that translate the colors and spirit of his homeland in ways reminiscent of his roots.

A Studio in the Gallery: The Playful Universe of Ignacio Iturria includes reproductions of over thirty oil paintings on canvas and cardboard—new worlds filled with whimsical characters and playful animals who populate surreal environments. His paintings frequently depict small stages from which characters may enter and escape; the play of shadow and light enhances the sense of theatricality. Iturria looks at society in a profound and poetic manner, and his ability to see a universe in a dripping sink recalls the wonder of a childlike gaze. Lacking any form of cynicism, his paintings invite us to view the world with amusement and hope. The catalog also includes texts by Sergio Chejfec, one of Argentina’s most prominent fiction writers. These texts appear as a literary response to Iturria’s work. In Chejfec’s words, the texts do not “seek to represent or interpret, nor do they aim to discover a secret key. They’re inspired by the desire for a silent conversation, in the time it takes to read one painting and move on to the next.” The original Spanish texts are accompanied by English translations.