Ikon presents UPRIGHT, a major exhibition of rarely seen works by acclaimed contemporary artist Angela de la Cruz, alongside a new commission developed in collaboration with Birmingham Royal Ballet. The title of the exhibition, implies standing straight – both alone and with support – to remain vertical.
Guest curated by Carolina Grau, the exhibition brings together key sculptures, installations and paintings that explore de la Cruz’s deep concern with the human body, vulnerability and the physical realities of everyday survival.
For more than three decades, Angela de la Cruz has pushed the boundaries of painting and sculpture. Her works interrogate what happens when familiar structures — physical, emotional or architectural — collapse, strain or resist pressure.
Born in La Coruña, Spain, and based in London, Angela de la Cruz (b. 1965) has been a leading figure in contemporary sculpture and expanded painting for more than thirty years. She was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2010, and this exhibition marks her first solo exhibition in the UK outside London.
The exhibition is generously supported by Henry Moore Foundation the Embassy of Spain Office for Cultural & Scientific Affairs, Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), Ikon Benefactor Jonathan Wearing and Galerie Thomas Schulte.
