Tunga at Lisson Gallery London

Lisson Gallery is pleased to announce its first exhibition of works by the multidisciplinary artist Tunga (1952-2016), whose estate has been represented by the gallery since September 2024. Internationally recognised as one of the most important Brazilian artists of his generation, the exhibition marks the first time Tunga’s work will be shown in London since 2018 when Tate Modern staged one of his legendary performances, Xifópagas Capilares Entre Nós (Capillary Xiphopagus Among Us). Acclaimed primarily for his precisely constructed sculptures informed by alchemy and mythology, Tunga drew attention to the psychological potential of three-dimensional objects which he first started to produce in the 1970s using materials such as iron chains, nylon mesh, lamps and rubber.

The exhibition highlights a pivotal period during which Tunga continued to experiment with increasingly diverse materials such as bottles, crystals, portals, teeth and tripods. While the artist’s earlier compositions often consisted of one or two elements, such as a braid made from wire, or felt joined together with cotton cord and nails, these later works reveal Tunga’s propensity for producing more corporeal forms that incorporate multiple components, and which balance density with ephemerality.

Film by Laura Bushell.