UNEARTHING is an homage to the metallurgy traditions of Mexico. The new body of work – featuring lighting, furniture and sculptural pieces – surveys the layers and evolution of Mexican craft through metalwork and considers the act of digging into the country’s cultural and material roots, revealing the hidden or forgotten techniques, traditions, and stories embedded in metals and the landscape itself.
Just as archaeologists unearth artifacts to understand a culture, the studios have mined and minted their medium; from steel and iron to copper, brass and bronze, while demonstrating a profound respect for the integrity of materials and the land from which they are unearthed and shaped. The result is an alchemical transformation; with age-old techniques reinterpreted to create contemporary design pieces.
The exhibition presents the works across a landscape of metals – bronze, copper, brass and steel – as a compelling tableau set against a pristine white wall which highlights the raw, elemental beauty of the materials. Visitors are immersed in a sensorial experience, featuring a soundscape; a sonic record of workmanship and tools, and the evocative scent of copal – a nod to Mexican culture and a tribute to the ‘oud’ traditions of Arabic cultures. A process wall, covered with images and sketches offers a glimpse into the creative journey behind the designs, while a documentary video showcases the production process in cinematic style – an ode to hands and earth.
Exhibition on view at Collectional, Dubai, United Arab Emirates from the 6th of November to the 20th of December 2024.
Héctor Esrawe is honored to collaborate with Ateliers Courbet to present his first solo exhibition in the United States. This milestone exhibition, titled Transmutation, will feature his latest series of functional bronze sculptures, embodying his multidisciplinary approach to design and art.
On view from March 20th through April 25th, 2024, at Ateliers Courbet’s Chelsea gallery (134 Tenth Ave., New York, NY 10011), Transmutation represents a deeply personal exploration of form, materiality, and transformation. Through this collection, Esrawe invites viewers to engage with the balance between utility and artistry, offering works that blur the lines between sculpture and function.
The exhibition showcases Héctor Esrawe’s GEAR series, a collection of limited-edition lights and tables meticulously hand-crafted by his team of skilled art founders just outside of Mexico City. This series continues Esrawe’s dedication to honoring the heritage of master craftsmanship deeply rooted in his country’s culture.
With GEAR, Esrawe pays tribute to the rare and invaluable artisans who preserve these traditions, celebrating their expertise through designs that blend functionality, artistry, and a profound respect for material and process. Each piece reflects not only the artist’s vision but also the hands and legacy of the craft behind it.
“Sometimes We Seek, Sometimes We Find”
This exhibition marks the second collaboration between MASA and Luhring Augustine, opening on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, and remaining on view through March 29.
This collection stands as a testament to the design activity as a constant act of observation. This series invites reflection on the interplay between intention and accident, precision and imperfection, order and chaos, planning and observation.
The exercise highlights how the unforeseen can serve as a source of inspiration and how discovery can create new paths or evolve into new expressions—sometimes arising from a simple act of reassignment. Possibilities already exist, waiting to be revealed or discovered.
A visit to the workshop, in this case a foundry, unveils unexpected forms and textures in the casting process. The collection’s physical manifestation echoes this philosophy. Crafted through the foundational principles of the casting process, the works express its most basic state—intricate yet unpredictable. Each sculpture embodies the essence of its making.
“Sometimes We Seek, Sometimes We Find” also reflects the transition from nothingness to form—an alchemical transformation where raw materials are imbued with meaning.
The collection celebrates the act of reflection—on both the material and the immaterial—capturing the essence of metal. This discovery and newfound intention manifest as a mirror; in this way, each piece becomes a metaphor for self-discovery, where the act of looking reveals not only the external form but also the internal journey of creation and understanding.
Ultimately, this collection reminds us that creation is not always about achieving a predefined intention. It centers on observing a path, an unforeseen possibility—with all its disruptions and revelations—and finding meaning in both the expected and the unexpected.