Alexis Duque

Slums or shantytowns as a social phenomenon highly characteristic of cities in developing countries are the central focus of artist Alexis Duque's work, in which architectural structures form one continuous urban sprawl.

Lacking ceiling and facades, these precarious structures overflow with crowded objects and furniture. The meticulously crafted paintings in the series of the Colinas echo organic architectural shapes, these conglomerations of buildings present us with a stark contrast of realities in cities Worldwide.

Challenging constructed responses to these images by triggering a double take in the way the viewer confronts the idea of urbanization within contemporary culture, Duque's paintings explore perceptions of innocence and violence, transgression and balance. With this juxtaposition he pretends to create a response that fluctuates between purity and corruption, balance and distortion.

Courtesy of Praxis International Art