Erosions

The exhibition puts works from Studio Eidola‘s Ocean Articulated series in conversation with Sylvie Johnson’s textiles. The relationship between the two can be seen physically and thematically: each studio’s deep appreciation for and exploration of natural materials shows through in the structure and surfaces of the pieces, while both bodies of work speak to the evolution of nature and mankind. In the fibers is a microcosm of the evolution of agriculture: the relationship of man and nature developing over thousands of years. In the sculptures, we see this evolution continue with man’s continual attunement to beauty and art alongside concerns for nature and survival. In Studio Eidola’s words, the temporary nature of the objects is a reminder that we should be borrowing materials from nature, not consuming them; thus, the connection to the impermanence of life is made.

As you round the room, the smaller works on the front wall reflect a continuation of this transformation: the thick, well-formed layers of Sahara 419 (2019) transition into the sand-dune-like waves of Nova (2021), resting for a moment in the fertile ground of Silt (2023) before returning to Sand (2023). These framed segments invite you to look closely, each piece acting as a fragment of the larger artist’s proof.

With textile works spanning five years and their development spanning almost a decade, the deep-rooted connections between the featured pieces and the iterative process within each’s evolution map the extended lifespan of nature’s cycles and the transformations that happen all around us.

Debuting as the Boston Gallery’s inaugural exhibition, Erosions speaks not only to the continual evolutions seen in the studio’s process and works but also to the transformation seen in the space itself. The show conceptually reflects what Merida Studio has been doing over the last three years and will continue to do so long: change, transform, and evolve.