Untitled, 2020

Gabriel Chaile, Untitled (Me hablan de oscuridad pero yo estoy encandilado), 2020; Charcoal and soft pastel on paper; 21 × 14.8 cm

The work is a drawing of a clay oven, a significant motif in the artist’s practice. Chaile’s belief that power is defined by shapes and forms is exemplified in his large, clay, sculptural ovens which fuse the anatomical shapes of humans and animals with the engineering of a primitive oven to create works that inspire a multiplicity of readings. As both functional and metaphorical hearths, Chaile activates these sculptures to bake empanadas and bread that are distributed to visitors in a live ritual of community and collective experience.