Zé Tepedino: Marina

The first solo exhibition in the UAE by Brazilian carioca artist Zé Tepedino is curated by Amanda Abi Khalil and also features a work by Hassan Sharif.

Says the gallery: “Marina is not a place but a tide, a rhythm carried in folds, fibres, and fragments”. Zé Tepedino presents works that reflect on the layers (both physical and emotional) that shape our world. He collects the leftovers of Rio’s streets and beaches for his pieces – faded towels, fabric from beach chairs and umbrellas, crumpled plastic bags, styrofoam beer coolers, discarded Havaianas.

“Tepedino works with urban fabrics (literally), speaks to the resilience of materials, and the beauty found in the traces we leave behind.” It’s a practice that definitely echoes Hassan Sharif’s way of elevating the mundane into “art”. His Towel 4 (2013), included in this exhibition, uses towels to create a bold, gestural sculpture, embodying the energy of repetition and transformation.

This exhibition coincides with Zé Tepedino’s public art residency at Al Serkal in collaboration with TAP (Temporary Art Platform), culminating in a site-specific intervention by the artist during Quoz Arts Fest on 25–26 January.

To 26 January.

Above: Zé Tepedino, Meia maré II (Half tide) (2024)