Opening on the 20th of May at our flagship gallery on Maddox Street, the Miaz Brothers’ latest exhibition, The Past, Present & Imperceptible, is the result of a one-year residency at our gallery space in Shepherd Market. Rendered in their signature style with cans of aerosol paint, the duo have created a new body of work that pushes the limits of perception further than ever before. Creating hazed versions of classic Old Master paintings, their enchanting canvases encourage the viewer to use perception and interpretation to bring new meaning to their work. Ahead of their magical exhibition, we speak to our European Gallery Director, Fi Lovett, about the Italian brothers, how she first encountered them and what their work means to her.
FI LOVETT, EUROPEAN GALLERY DIRECTOR
“I first heard about the Miaz Brothers six years ago from a fellow art consultant who was bewitched by their work” Lovett notes. Originally born in Milan, Italy and proceeding to study art and European design at university, the sibling duo first exhibited in 1996 in Viafarini Gallery in Milan. At the turn of the millennium, the duo moved to New York to further pursue art for their career and have continued since to travel extensively, honing their craft, reaching new audiences and exhibiting their work globally, including at our very own Maddox Gallery.
MIAZ BROTHERS, THE MAIDEN, 2021
Lovett fondly recalls the first painting of theirs that she ever saw, “it was a portrait of a gentleman in period dress. I was instantly attracted to the mystery”. Now painting obscured accounts of disparate fantasies and candle-lit apparitions, the brothers first trialled their misty style on a plethora of subjects. From iconic packaging like Coca-Cola cans or Chanel perfume bottles to men and women from all eras of history, the Italian artists have covered a wide range of topics.
MIAZ BROTHERS, THE COCA COLA CAN, 2020
On the duo’s style, Lovett notes “the Miaz Brothers engage your imagination and partake in the narrative by having to fill in the gaps. Jeff Koons said of his Gazing Ball series that he used the mirror ball to draw the viewer into the artwork. Their reflection becomes part of the work and Koons observed that people become far more engaged in art when they become part of it. It’s not a dissimilar process with the Miaz Brothers”.
MIAZ BROTHERS, YOUNG MAN, 2019
Describing their work as “compelling, haunting and ethereal”, Lovett is looking forward to seeing great things from the brothers. As they have become so well-known for their recognisable style, Lovett notes that she would love to see the duo recreate Old Master works that are even more iconic and familiar such as Vermeer’s Girl With a Pearl Earring.
When asked what we can expect from the duo in the near future, Lovett explains that she anticipates that “the Miaz Brothers will continue to beguile and elevate us to another dreamlike state”. With their highly anticipated exhibition set to be an instant sell-out and their avid collector base ever-expanding, Lovett’s prediction is more accurate than ever.
The Past, Present & Imperceptible will be available to view from the 20th May to 10th June online at www.maddoxgallery.com and in gallery at Maddox Gallery, 9 Maddox St, London W1S 2QE.
