Bernadette Despujols, Los hijos del cacao, 2025 (101.6 x 76.2 cm)
Newchild is proud to present The brighter the light, the debut European solo exhibition by artist Bernadette Despujols. We invite you to attend the opening reception on Friday, March 27th, from 18:00 to 21:00, where the artist will be in attendance.
The exhibition draws its title and soul from the Jungian philosophy that enlightenment and growth naturally deepen the shadow of the unconscious.
For Despujols, this isn't just a metaphor but a lived reality rooted in the environment of her native Venezuela.
In the tropics, the sun acts as a fierce and visceral force that creates a visual landscape of absolute extremes.
This brilliance results in a world where light is blinding and shadows are rendered nearly pitch-black.
Heladería, 2024 Oil on linen 70 x 50 in 177.8 x 126.7 cm Bernadette Despujols
This aesthetic tension serves as a profound mirror for the current state of Venezuela, where the country’s inherent warmth and vitality are inextricably linked to a deepening shadow of political repression and social unrest.
Through this collection, Despujols explores the coexistence of brilliance and gloom.
Her work captures a landscape where vibrant life and expanding darkness are not opposites but two sides of the same coin.
Ultimately, these pieces reveal how the most radiant places can simultaneously harbor the heaviest silences.
Bernadette Despujols maintains a multimedia practice dedicated to the poignant exploration of intimacy and the multifaceted nature of feminine embodiment.
Her work examines the nuanced roles women inhabit throughout various life stages, from daughters and friends to mothers and grandmothers.
By merging personal narratives with broader cultural discourse, she offers a rich perspective on how women are represented and perceived within contemporary society.
Despujols actively confronts and reinterprets traditional, often objectified depictions of the female form by drawing inspiration from her own life and the influential women who have shaped it.
Her paintings and sculptures serve as a testament to the inherent complexity and diversity of female identity.
Her approach to painting is notably tactile and almost sculptural, as she applies varied layers of pigment onto thickly gessoed backgrounds.
She further activates the surface by using knives to scrape the canvas, creating fine incisions that imbue the work with a sense of dynamism that transcends the traditional flat plane.
Astor súper suave, 2026 (91.4 x 61 cm); Bernadette Despujols
Born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, in 1986, Despujols possesses a diverse academic background in both architecture and fine arts.
She studied at the Universidad Central de Venezuela and the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris before earning her MFA in Visual Arts from the California Institute of the Arts in 2010.
Her work has been featured in prominent solo and group exhibitions across the United States, Europe, and South America, including recent showcases at Newchild in Antwerp, the FLAG Art Foundation in New York, and Nino Mier Gallery in Los Angeles.
Her pieces are held in prestigious permanent collections, such as the ICA Miami and El Espacio 23. Currently, the artist divides her time between her studios in Miami and Brooklyn.
The opening night takes place on March 27th, 2026, from 18:00 to 21:00 at Newchild Gallery. The full exhibition will remain on view from March 27th through May 7th, 2026.
