'Semilla Negra'

Tenerife-based graphic designer and cultural manager Ofelio Serpa traces the life cycle of seeds as a symbol of origin, possibility and transformation, realised in around twenty three-dimensional ceramic pieces. Serpa presents seeds of monumental scale, and throughout his creative process moves from representation to reinterpretation and the creation of entirely new forms. In this process, "the organic shapes, their curves, their compact or open, elongated or perforated structures, their textures serve as pretext and motivation. The grooves, veins and outer husks of seeds, their scale or grouping in varied patterns are a mere excuse to generate expressive sculptural objects with a language that conveys growth and vital force," the artist explains. With Semilla Negra, "Ofelio Serpa opens an unexplored chapter in his work on seeds — perpetuators of species, which lie dormant in adverse conditions waiting to germinate when the right circumstances arise," writes Francisco Santos in the accompanying text. "Reinventing oneself in artistic practice is a challenge every creator must face again and again throughout their career — the search for new forms of expression to convey previously hidden realities, and the discovery of transformative impulses."