Gabriel Orozco: Diario de Plantas

White Cube, Seoul, KR

White Cube is presenting a new solo exhibition by acclaimed Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco in Seoul, showcasing a series of paintings and works on paper that Orozco developed during 2021–22 titled Diario de Plantas. The exhibition emerges from Orozco’s notebook studies, which capture his reflections on plant life across diverse landscapes—from the bustling metropolis of Tokyo to the vibrant locales of Acapulco and Mexico City.

The Diario de Plantas series began as a personal project during the Covid-19 pandemic while Orozco resided in Tokyo. The artist collected leaves from his environment, embedding them directly into notebook pages and integrating these natural elements with his artistic interpretations in gouache, tempera, ink, and graphite. These works act as a diary of Orozco’s interactions with his surroundings, meticulously numbered, dated, and sealed with his traditional Japanese stamp, creating a chronological record of both time and place. In this exhibition, Orozco aims to go beyond botanical illustration as he explores movement and growth through the layered textures and rhythms of the natural world.

The vegetal patterns intertwined with freehand markings on paper invite viewers to consider broader themes of ecological and personal temporality, particularly reflective of the pandemic-induced ‘anthropause’—a period marked by a significant reduction in human activity and a consequential deepening of environmental consciousness. The show features standout pieces like 21.I.22 (a) #15 and 20.I.22 (b) #10, where Orozco departs from traditional earth tones, opting instead for vivid blues and stark monochromatic schemes that convey a more visceral engagement with nature. Meanwhile, works like 30.I.22 (a) #17 immerse plant imprints in cyan, evoking aquatic scenes that connect thematically with his larger painted works on gold-bordered Shikishi boards. Diario de Plantas not only showcases Orozco’s blend of natural elements with artistic mediums but also highlights his ongoing contributions to the arts, including his leadership in the transformative Chapultepec Park project in Mexico City.

For more information, consult White Cube’s website here.