Secci Gallery is pleased to announce the forthcoming solo exhibition by Irish artist Kevin Francis Gray, opening on 8 April 2025, at 6 p.m., at Via Olmetto 1, Milan. The exhibition unveils Gray’s latest body of work, the Fragile Heads Series, reflecting his unwavering curiosity and commitment to sculptural practice. Expanding on themes from his recent Family and Ten Heroes Series, this new collection delves further into materiality, transition, and social and cultural connections.

Each sculpture in the Fragile Heads Series features a colour-glazed porcelain bust, poised on a custom- carved wooden base. While Gray has long been celebrated for his mastery of marble, this new series welcomes the unpredictability of porcelain. By working with a medium that through its creation is prone to cracking and warping, Gray challenges traditional sculptural conventions, using its rawness, imperfections, and inherent fragility as expressive tools to resonate upon how tensions between resilience and vulnerability are intrinsic to the shaping of one’s identity.

Unlike marble, which retains firmness and sturdiness, porcelain is unpredictable – it reacts to heat, pressure, and moisture, often yielding unexpected results. Gray intentionally retains a degree of moisture in the clay before firing, fostering internal stresses that may result in fissures during the kiln process. Rather than perceiving these cracks as flaws, the artist considers them integral to the sculptures’ visual language – a manifestation of tension, movement, and inevitable evolution.

Following Gray’s recent visit to Istanbul, the vivid colours in this series draw inspiration from ancient İznik ceramics, celebrated for their intricate patterns and distinctive blue hues. While Gray’s sculptural language remains distinctly recognisable, the infusion of Turkey’s rich palette and the delicate craftsmanship of its ceramics introduces new qualities to his work, expanding his material and chromatic exploration.

Gray’s artistic journey consistently bridges classical sculptural techniques with contemporary material experimentation. Renowned for his pioneering use of materials, his work challenges established norms by prioritising tactile expressiveness and psychological depth. In the Fragile Heads Series, Gray’s exploration of materiality reaches a new apex, where fragility and strength coalesce, transforming the sculptural object into a dynamic commentary on the human experience. In this way, this exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the delicate balance between stability and change, offering an opportunity to engage with themes of resilience, transformation, and identity.