by Margaret Failoni

There is no doubt that Santiago Corral is an artist's artist. He has proven to be one of his generation's foremost figurative artist with work in collections throughout Mexico, the United States and Israel but to name a few. Best known for his ability to make the viewer perceive the human presence is his genre paintings such as "Encuentro quotidinao, 2008" –a child's shoes left under the bathroom sink-- or the 2010 still life –"Accidente domestico"-- showing a broken coffee cup with coffee and a few grinds spilled across the tablecloth. The child seems to have just left the room; the coffee drinker seems to have just stepped away from the spilled coffee. Therein lies the magic that Corral creates, encompassing the viewer into the work.

Widely collected are the artist's magnificent interpretations of the Mexican countryside. Corral is an accomplished hang glider and pilot and more often than not, gives us superb views of his world as if perceived from above. Fields of corn seen through a faint drizzle or cows grazing in the distance create an almost nostalgic vision of Mexico's heartland not so romantically depicted since the works of the great Velasquez.

In this series of exciting new work, we are dealing once again with perceptions. Corral initially started this new series with an underlying verve depicting the feeling of freedom accentuated with images of youths flying through the air in acrobatic movements. And yet, he soon realized that what he wanted to convey was not so much the physical freedom but the much more illusive feelings of freedom of the soul, the spirit within man, within the artist.

Accompanying the large, beautiful oils of youths in free movement are smaller creations in an attempt to present the freedom of the spirit: the freedom of the soul, to fly, to create. There lies no doubt that the artist and the flier that is Santiago Corral will continue to search for and perhaps, in his own way, find the spiritual freedom so precious for his work, for his life.

Santiago Corral lives and works in San Miguel de Allende when not flying over Mexico's extraordinary countryside.
Galeria Intersección is proud to present this exhibition to it's distinguished collectors, the International and the San Miguel de Allende public.

by Margaret Failoni

Sitting at his desk while speaking on the phone, Rodrigo De la Sierra started scribbling on his phone pad and a bald little man appeared sitting at a desk and looking up at its creator. Timoteo or better known as TIMO, was born.

While practicing a very successful career as an Architect, unbeknownst to his family and friends, Rodrigo started studying all different sculpting techniques while quietly practicing his favorite hobby, whittling away on pieces of wood. The first actual TIMO sculpture was created, a bald, fat little man leaning against the world. He entered the piece in a renowned Japanese sculpture contest and it came in second. Not that he needed convincing, but after this success, sculpting became an almost maniacal past time. While still practicing his architectural profession, he was offered his first show in Mexico at this San Miguel de Allende gallery and the rest is history.

Rodrigo De la Sierra has exhibited in most of Mexico's museums, the International Airport in Mexico City, and along the Alalmeda joining the Bellas Artes outdoor exhibition spaces with commissioned works from the Senate, the house of Congress, the National Post Office, the National Lottery and several municipalities throughout the Mexican Republic. His work is in major public and private collections in Mexico, Canada, The United States, Italy, France, Korea and Japan. His sculpture has quietly reflected gentle, veiled criticisms of the society we live in and perhaps because of it, this self taught artist is taking a period of reflection from which is born the need to further his oeuvre by creating paintings.

The subject matter of these first paintings are that which he knows best: TIMO. At a first glance, the amazing thing about the work is not only painted with a superb technique, but the astonishing use of light. Especially in "Looking up", the dark and light are very Caravaggio-esque, injecting drama in an otherwise mundane subject. Taking time away from the physical action in sculpting, seems to have given the artist more time for reflection on where he wants to go in his art, what are the changes in the contemporary art scene, are their still that many messages he wishes to convey with his sculpture or is painting giving him a much needed pause to allow for reflection on his life in general. Only time will tell, but we, as viewers and perhaps collectors, are delighted to accompany the artist in this moment of pause.

Rodrigo De la Sierra was born and lives in Mexico City where he works in his large, sunny Pedegral studio. Being the very first home of TIMO, the Interseccion Gallery, is honored to present this new work; the painting are accompanied by a selected group of sculptures which include a unique creation in wood and bronze. Being the very first "home" of TIMO, The galria Intersección is delighted and honored to present these unusual, beautiful paintings along with a carefully selected group of sculptures, including a unique wood and bronze sculpture, to its discerning collectors and public.

by Margaret Failoni

After a sold-out exhibition in the United States, Yui Sakamoto returns to his home base, the Galeria Intersección in San Miguel de Allende to delight his followers with a small but exciting series of paintings. Yui’s art subverts expectations and expands our understanding of identity: at times riotously joyful, and yet, at times simultaneously reflective, at times highlighting how disciplines can meet one another and demonstrating how tendencies such as Surrealism and Neo-realism can join and meet one another. Well combined, the paintings create their own vernacular in the crowded field of contemporary art.

There is a large oil painted in riot-reds as an allegory on love, and better yet, passion. In it is a large fusion of baroque mixed with anime like personalities and the usual playful cacophony of dancing figures, toys, animals, children all dancing around the central figure, a heady mixture of his Japanese origins evenly mixed with the typical joyous countenance of his his adopted homeland.

Another large canvas shows us a meticulously painted Garden of Eden with two figures playfully running through this enchanted forest. Unlike the first painting, this is a study on quiet lushness. In contrast to the first, this painting is romantic and soothing and quite magical.

Yui’s extraordinary painting techniques are forefront in these new works with a not always subtle use but magnificently presented use of well placed color. It is safe to say that these paintings are a a series of declared joy. Children dressed in native costumes, delightful phantasmagorical animals dance to an unheard tune, magic everywhere: this is the magical joy the artist presents to his public on the Day of The Dead festivities, this most joyous of Mexican Holidays.

In this series of paintings Yui Sakamoto remains true to his love of Mexican iconography so essential to his personal interpretation of surrealism.

We will examine, enjoy and love the work during the short period in our presence as the artist will not show new work in San Miguel for more than a year. The demand for his art will have him traveling until his return to his San Miguel home gallery in 2025.

As his discoverer and curator, I have the privilege of sneak visits to his studio to admire the new creations that will travel away. I can never get enough of Yui’s work.

Galería Intersección, Fabrica la Aurora, 18-A
415-120-0944, interseccionartsma@gmail.com
www.interseccionart.com

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