Galeria Leme is pleased to announce From Me to Us, the second solo exhibition by artist Jaume Plensa at its space. Featuring three large-scale sculptures, the exhibition will be on view from April 1 to May 10, 2025.
Plensa was born in Barcelona, Catalonia, where he studied art at the Llotja School and the Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts.
Jaume Plensa has a long-standing relationship with Brazil, first visiting the country in his youth, when he formed a deep connection with the sea and the local spirituality. Since then, he has created public installations at Botafogo Bay in Rio de Janeiro and in Porto Alegre during the 13th Mercosul Biennial. In 2022, Plensa held his first solo institutional exhibition in Brazil at the Oscar Niemeyer Museum in Curitiba.
From Me to Us explores our connection to communal spaces and personal introspection, expanding from the solitude of the “I” to the collective “us.”
Positioned at the gallery’s entrance, Self Portrait V establishes a link between the internal exhibition space and the outside world. In this stainless steel sculpture, a human figure is enclosed within a sphere of letters, creating a metaphysical universe that represents the cosmos and the multitude of worlds and words that can emerge from a single sequence of letters.
Upon entering the exhibition, visitors encounter Blue Hermit, a bronze sculpture depicting a man crouched on a rock. The figure embodies isolation, enclosed within the notion of the self. Plensa describes the piece as “an individual in the midst of a flow of communities, yet without any contact.” The artist often works with alphabets, treating them as a visual score—like musical notes that, instead of producing sound, form words and phrases, building bridges between silence and the other.
In contrast, Rui Rui’s Words, part of Plensa’s recent exploration of suspended sculptures, presents the face of a young girl with her finger pressed to her lips—a symbol of silence and contemplation. This gesture invites the audience to pause and reflect. Within the gallery space, the two sculptures engage in a silent dialogue—one immersed in silence, the other calling for it. The gallery’s concrete walls evoke a sense of protection and enclosure, while Plensa’s works suggest different ways of relating to this almost cathedral-like atmosphere, welcoming and inviting contemplation.
An internationally acclaimed artist, Jaume Plensa is recognized as one of the leading contemporary sculptors of our time. Over the past 35 years, he has created sculptures and installations that connect individuals through spirituality, the body, and collective memory.
Literature, psychology, biology, language, and history have been central elements throughout his career. Using a wide range of materials—including steel, cast iron, resin, paraffin wax, glass, light, water, and sound—Plensa gives physical weight and volume to aspects of the human condition and the ephemeral.
At the core of his artistic practice lies a continuous pursuit of beauty in simplicity, encouraging points of convergence for viewers of his work—from architectural landmarks that connect local communities to more intimate sculptures. Plensa’s long-standing dedication to creating public art—found in cities around the world, from Seoul to Dubai—stems from his belief in the power of art in public spaces as a means of generating inclusive and transformative experiences for a wide and diverse audience.
