Nocturne Is Jaume Plensa’s Dramatic Exhibition Of Sculptural Portraiture

“In ‘Nocturne’, a word evocative of the night, Plensa navigates the symbolic dichotomy between lightness and darkness,” reads a statement from the gallery. His pieces range from substantial sculptures crafted from black basalt and bronze, to light, ethereal figures in stainless steel and Murano glass. ‘Minna’, one of the larger pieces in the exhibition, is a nine-foot-tall portrait depicting a young woman with her eyes closed, resting. Nearby, five bronze portraits arranged closely together exist as if in silent dialog with one another, with each bronze head presenting a uniquely textured surface. The pieces were cast from the same molds the artist used to form his steel mesh figures. Through portraiture, Plensa’s sculptures convey the transitory nature of human emotions, paused in a single moment in time. As Plensa explains, “Every time I do a portrait, soon after, in a way, the person no longer exists.”