Maria Nepomuceno 3 mulheres (3 Women) 2017
© Maria Nepomuceno
Maria Nepomuceno’s sculptural works exude a potent sense of fertility and a holistic relationship with nature, referencing plants, fruits, and the human body. In 3 mulheres, the artist’s signature circular shapes appear in multiple densities and textures. The tree-like base is composed of thickly coiled ropes in bright blues, reds, oranges, and pinks, layered with plastic and clay beads. Vaginal or flower-like openings appear in this section, as flat circular areas transition into tube forms that extend up to the wall. Similar to tropical vines, these tubular lines curl around one another and become flattened circles of woven straw attached to the wall in the sculpture’s upper section. The tactile, complex patterning of these woven sections is contrasted with smooth gourd-like elements made from matte terra cotta and shiny resin. Exuberant, erotic, celebratory, and complex, Nepomuceno’s sculptural works investigate the intersections of art, body, nature, craft, and diverse traditions of abstraction.
Identification
Title
3 mulheres (3 Women)
Production Date
2017
Object Number
2018.012
Credit Line
Collection Pérez Art Museum Miami, museum purchase with funds provided by PAMM’s Collectors Council, Craig Robins, and Camille and Patrick McDowell
Copyright
© Maria Nepomuceno
https://www.pamm.org/en/artwork/2018.012
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Physical Qualities
Medium
Beads, braided straw, ropes, ceramic, clay, resin, and wood
Dimensions
Dimensions variable
Visual Description
3 mulheres (3 women) by Maria Nepomuceno is a sculpture made in 2017. It is made out of beads, braided straw, ropes, ceramic, clay, resin, and wood. Its dimensions are variable and change depending on how it is installed within the gallery.
The piece depicts several objects made of rope and string. At its base, starting from the viewers left-hand side, there is a basket that resembles a lacrosse stick that is made of light green braided straw. Within it are smaller brown balls of clay. The basket extends toward a larger ball made of red, white, and pink straw. At its center there is a circular opening where the basket rests. Underneath there is a foundation of straw that is colored red, orange, and blue. Continuing right, in the center of the foundation there is a circular mat of straw that is colored red and green with an outer edge of red and white squares. To the right is another foundational mat, however this one is royal blue in color. Resting on this mat are several smaller objects made of rope and straw in various colors. Leaning on its side is a clay object that is orange and resembles a pacifier.
Extending upward from this base, to the viewers left, is a metallic green object that resembles a plum with a vine extending from its end. This vine-like shape wraps around an object made of red straw that resembles a small tree with two branches. Also wrapping around this tree-like object is a thick rope made of multicolored straw. The ends of the branches join the gallery wall and flatten into large disks that resemble lily pads. On the left there are two of these disks. One is colored peach and light grey while the other is red and blue. In front of these disks there is an object that resembles two wine glasses joined at the base. It is grey with yellow stripes. Extending toward the left is a single piece of rope that joins the gallery wall and forms a shape that resembles a hammer. It is grey, pink, and red.
On the right-hand side there is one large disk joined with the gallery wall. Wrapped around it is a single piece of pink rope. Hanging from this piece of rope is a smaller yellow disk with a pink center. This rope continues in a different pattern of red and white toward the gallery ceiling. It comes back down and is holding an egg-shaped object made of clay that is colored orange.
