Cristiano Mangovo's first New York solo exhibition 'Body: Instrument and File'

Angolan artist Cristiano Mangovo opened his first solo exhibition in New York, titled Body: Instrument and File, at Chase Contemporary. It was with great pleasure that we had the opportunity to translate 3 of Mangovo's dynamic paintings into artist editions.

Mangovo's works in the show were painted during his residency at the gallery — each of them a vibrant documentary the body, its utility, and history. The title of the exhibition Body: Instrument and File is pertinent to both Mangovo's philosophy and practice. To him, the body is a rich chronicle of life experience, a communication device capable of melodizing beyond spoken language, and a flexible tool for both creation and destruction.

The artwork we printed for the artist editions was done so on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White, a smooth white paper that reflected the paintings' true colors, textures, and strokes. Once the physical work had been digitized, we worked with the files to edit, color adjust, and specially treated the edges of the image area. Knocking out the background tone, and isolating the rough natural brushstrokes that signaled the edge of the painted image, we created a seamless effect that bound the image to paper. Each print was also hand deckled on all 4 sides, also emphasizing the tactility of the prints.

Mangovo's exhibition is on view until July 13 at Chase Contemporary's SoHo location. Editions are for sale and distributed through the gallery.

Exhibition photographs courtest of Chase Contemporary. Studio photographs taken by Brooklyn Editions. All work courtesy of the artist, Cristiano Mangovo.