Angela de la Cruz's exhibition "Upright" at Ikon Gallery in Birmingham (until 6 September) marks her first UK institutional show since her 2010 Camden Arts Centre survey, which earned her a Turner Prize nomination. The exhibition features her signature painterly sculptures and sculptural paintings that blur boundaries between mediums, including works like "Still Life with Table" (2000), "Limp" (2000), and "Bloated 111 (Blue)" (2012), which combine Minimalist language with anthropomorphic, emotional qualities. De la Cruz, who has been based in the UK since the late 1980s, continues to create work that channels influences from art history, literature, and personal experience, even after a paralyzing stroke in 2005.
This exhibition matters because it reasserts de la Cruz's importance as a genre-defying artist who has long challenged the conventions of painting and sculpture with visceral, emotionally charged works. Her first UK institutional show in 15 years highlights the enduring relevance of her practice, which uses humor, violence, and domestic objects to explore human experience. The show also underscores how de la Cruz has adapted her creative process after her stroke, relying on assistants and collaborators while maintaining her irreverent, disquieting edge.