Installation view, Tecla Tofano: This Body of Mine, James Cohan, 291 Grand Street, New York, NY, November 9 - December 22, 2023.
Installation view, Tecla Tofano: This Body of Mine, James Cohan, 291 Grand Street, New York, NY, November 9 - December 22, 2023.
Installation view, Tecla Tofano: This Body of Mine, James Cohan, 291 Grand Street, New York, NY, November 9 - December 22, 2023.
Installation view, Tecla Tofano: This Body of Mine, James Cohan, 291 Grand Street, New York, NY, November 9 - December 22, 2023.
Installation view, Tecla Tofano: This Body of Mine, James Cohan, 291 Grand Street, New York, NY, November 9 - December 22, 2023.
Installation view, Tecla Tofano: This Body of Mine, James Cohan, 291 Grand Street, New York, NY, November 9 - December 22, 2023.
Installation view, Tecla Tofano: This Body of Mine, James Cohan, 291 Grand Street, New York, NY, November 9 - December 22, 2023.
Installation view, Tecla Tofano: This Body of Mine, James Cohan, 291 Grand Street, New York, NY, November 9 - December 22, 2023.
Installation view, Tecla Tofano: This Body of Mine, James Cohan, 291 Grand Street, New York, NY, November 9 - December 22, 2023.
TECLA TOFANO
Lengua Totem (Totem Tongue), 1966
Glazed ceramic
12 1/2 x 4 x 3 in.
31.8 x 10.2 x 7.6 cm
JCG15375
TECLA TOFANO
Vasija con Personaje (Vessel with Personage), 1969
From the series Los enlatados (The Canned)
Glazed ceramic
15 1/2 x 8 x 8 in.
39.4 x 20.3 x 20.3 cm
JCG15372
TECLA TOFANO
Hábitat Dragón (Habitat Dragon), 1967
From the series Hábitat y habitantes (Habitats and Inhabitants)
Glazed ceramic
15 x 6 x 5 in.
38.1 x 15.2 x 12.7 cm
JCG15371
TECLA TOFANO
Sin Título (Untitled), Tall vase,1959
Ceramic
8 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.
21.6 x 14 x 14 cm
JCG15771
TECLA TOFANO
Sin Título (Untitled), Lidded Bottle,1972
Glazed Ceramic
13 3/4 x 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 in.
34.9 x 21.6 x 21.6 cm
JCG15766
TECLA TOFANO
Baldaquín (Canopy Bed), 1971
From the series La cama y sus posibilidades (The Bed and Its Possibilities)
Glazed Ceramic
9 x 6 x 9 in.
22.9 x 15.2 x 22.9 cm
JCG15761
TECLA TOFANO
Sin Título (Untitled), Small globular vase,1959
Ceramic
3 1/2 x 5 x 5 in.
8.9 x 12.7 x 12.7 cm
JCG15768
TECLA TOFANO
Sin Título (Untitled), Small tower, 1964
Glazed ceramic
6 1/4 x 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 in.
15.9 x 5.7 x 5.7 cm
JCG15456
TECLA TOFANO
Bastión (Bastion), 1967
From the series Hábitat y habitantes (Habitats and Inhabitants)
Glazed ceramic
14 x 6 x 6 in.
35.6 x 15.2 x 15.2 cm
JCG15450
TECLA TOFANO
Sin Título (Untitled), Vase with drippage,1964
Glazed ceramic
9 1/2 x 7 x 7 in.
24.1 x 17.8 x 17.8 cm
JCG15459
TECLA TOFANO
Sin Título (Untitled), Ashtray, 1965
Glazed ceramic
2 1/2 x 4 x 4 in.
6.3 x 10.2 x 10.2 cm
JCG15457
TECLA TOFANO
Lengua (Tongue),1966
Glazed ceramic
8 3/4 x 3 1/2 x 3 in.
22.2 x 8.9 x 7.6 cm
JCG15458
TECLA TOFANO
Sin Título (Untitled), 1966
Glazed ceramic
11 x 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 in.
27.9 x 11.4 x 11.4 cm
JCG15374
TECLA TOFANO
Sin Título (Untitled), Small floral vase, 1967
Glazed ceramic
7 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 in.
19.1 x 8.9 x 8.9 cm
JCG15451
TECLA TOFANO
Y Poblaron al Mundo (And They Populated the World),1973
From the series Esa Munda Macha
Glazed ceramic
8 1/2 x 10 x 10 in.
21.6 x 25.4 x 25.4 cm
JCG15376
TECLA TOFANO
Sin Título (Untitled), Bulbous vase, 1969
Glazed Ceramic
8 x 8 x 8 in.
20.3 x 20.3 x 20.3 cm
JCG15765
TECLA TOFANO
Sin Título (Untitled), 1970
From the series Los enlatados (The Canned)
Glazed Ceramic
8 1/2 x 7 1/2 x 6 1/4 in.
21.6 x 19.1 x 15.9 cm
JCG15763
TECLA TOFANO
Sin Título (Untitled), Tall cylindrical vase, 1961
Glazed ceramic
10 x 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 in.
25.4 x 8.9 x 8.9 cm
JCG15460
TECLA TOFANO
Wagon-Lit, 1971
From the series La cama y sus posibilidades (The Bed and Its Possibilities)
Glazed ceramic
4 1/2 x 8 x 5 1/2 in.
11.4 x 20.3 x 14 cm
JCG15370
TECLA TOFANO
Monumento a La Rueda (Wheel Monument), 1969
From the series De la silla a la cápsula (From the Chair to the Capsule)
Glazed Ceramic
14 3/4 x 12 1/2 x 3/4 in.
37.5 x 31.8 x 1.9 cm
JCG15762
TECLA TOFANO
Cinturón con cartera (Belt with Purse), 1971
From the series Los accesorios (The Accessories)
Glazed ceramic
2 1/2 x 6 1/2 x 7 in.
6.3 x 16.5 x 17.8 cm
JCG15453
TECLA TOFANO
Sin Título (Untitled),Bowl with Sgraffito,1972
Glazed Ceramic
4 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 10 1/2 in.
11.4 x 26.7 x 26.7 cm
JCG15764
TECLA TOFANO
Cuando me levanto (When I Wake Up),1971
From the series Los accesorios (The Accessories)
Glazed ceramic
4 1/2 x 3 x 8 in.
11.4 x 7.6 x 20.
3 cm
JCG15452
TECLA TOFANO
Sin Título (Untitled), Lidded Vessel,1972
Glazed Ceramic
13 x 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 in.
33 x 21.6 x 21.6 cm
JCG15767
TECLA TOFANO
Bacalao al Limón (Cod with Lemon), 1973
From the series Lo que comen los que comen (What Those Who Eat Eat)
Glazed ceramic
13 1/2 x 9 x 3 1/2 in.
34.3 x 22.9 x 8.9 cm
JCG15454
TECLA TOFANO
Solidaridad (Solidarity), 1973
From the series Esa Munda Macha
Glazed ceramic
10 x 8 1/4 x 6 3/4 in.
25.4 x 21 x 17.1 cm
JCG15411
TECLA TOFANO
Sin Título (Untitled), 1973
Glazed ceramic, wood base
4 1/2 x 4 3/4 x 4 3/4 in.
11.4 x 12.1 x 12.1 cm
JCG15741
TECLA TOFANO
La mujer en la Historia (Women in History), 1975
From the series De género femenina (Of the Female Gender)
Glazed ceramic
10 1/2 x 7 x 5 in.
26.7 x 17.8 x 12.7 cm
JCG15373
TECLA TOFANO
Vejez (Old Age), 1974
From the series 30 pecados vitales (30 Vital Sins)
Glazed ceramic
8 1/4 x 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 in.
21 x 11.4 x 11.4 cm
JCG15455
TECLA TOFANO
Comunicación (Communication), 1975
From the series El libro y su evasión (The Book and Its Evasion)
Glazed ceramic
11 1/2 x 9 1/2 x 7 1/2 in.
29.2 x 24.1 x 19.1 cm
JCG15760
TECLA TOFANO
Comunicación (Communication),1975
From the series El libro y su evasión (The Book and Its Evasion)
Glazed ceramic
11 1/2 x 9 1/2 x 7 1/2 in.
29.2 x 24.1 x 19.1 cm
JCG15760
TECLA TOFANO
Freud, Sexología (Freud, Sexology), 1975
From the series El libro y su evasión (The Book and Its Evasion)
Glazed ceramic
6 1/2 x 7 1/4 x 5 1/2 in.
16.5 x 18.4 x 14 cm
JCG15377
TECLA TOFANO
Así empezó todo (Thus It All Began) from the Evas al desnudo (Naked Eves) Suite, 1972
Pencil on paper
10 5/8 x 8 1/2 in.
27 x 21.5 cm
JCG15503
TECLA TOFANO
Mas que Unidas, Entrelazadas (More Intertwined than Joined) from the Evas al desnudo (Naked Eves) Suite, 1972
Pencil on paper
10 5/8 x 8 1/2 in.
27 x 21.6 cm
JCG15779
TECLA TOFANO
La empollada (The Hatching) from the Evas al desnudo (Naked Eves) Suite, 1972
Pencil on paper
10 5/8 x 8 1/2 in.
27 x 21.6 cm
JCG15782
TECLA TOFANO
Femineidad (Femininity) from the Evas al desnudo (Naked Eves) Suite, 1972
Pencil on paper
10 5/8 x 8 1/2 in.
27 x 21.6 cm
JCG15785
TECLA TOFANO
Seductora (Seducer) from the Evas al desnudo (Naked Eves) Suite, 1972
Pencil on paper
10 5/8 x 8 1/2 in.
27 x 21.5 cm
JCG15499
TECLA TOFANO
Amarrada pero Frutal (Tied but Fruity) from the Evas al desnudo (Naked Eves) Suite, 1972
Pencil on paper
10 5/8 x 8 1/2 in.
27 x 21.5 cm
JCG15504
James Cohan is pleased to present Tecla Tofano: This Body of Mine, an exhibition spotlighting the radical Latin American feminist Tecla Tofano (b. March 5, 1927, in Naples, Italy, d. October 20, 1995, in Caracas, Venezuela), on view at the gallery’s 291 Grand Street location from November 9 through December 22, 2023. This is Tofano’s first solo presentation in the United States and is accompanied by a comprehensive artist monograph. The gallery will host an opening reception on Saturday, November 11, 2023 from 4-6 PM.
Tecla Tofano: This Body of Mine foregrounds Tofano as a critical figure in the history of feminist art and the broader canon of postwar global modernism. Curated by Gabriela Rangel and Audrée Anid, this exhibition features over thirty ceramics from the 1960s and 70s as well as a selection of drawings from Evas al desnudo (Naked Eves), her series from 1972. Tofano channeled her ideas most notably through ceramics, though she was also an adept draftswoman, a metalsmith, and a voracious writer.
In Rangel’s words, “...the feminist impulse empowered her to examine, in both her art and writing, the female body as a tactical space of confrontation.”
Tofano’s meditations in clay were often infused with her biting sense of humor, though they also maintained a poignant and personal undertone. The artist’s initial foray into pottery in the 1950s began with throwing utilitarian objects on the wheel under the tutelage of Miguel Arroyo, a figurehead of Venezuela’s nascent craft movement. By the 1960s and into the ’70s, she shifted to hand-modeling body parts as well as domestic items ranging from food and books to totemic figures, flora, and fauna. Unabashed in her choice of subject matter, Tofano embraced ugliness, hand-modeling ceramics that celebrated the grotesque. Her visual language stood in direct opposition to a refined geometric abstraction and kineticism that was popular among her peers. Tofano embraced rough, hand-built surfaces, as evidenced in this exhibition’s uncompromising works, which range from carved and extruding phalluses to disembodied tongues.
The artist’s work revealed the cracks in an extremist sociopolitical system in Venezuela, Tofano’s home of over forty years. Her left-leaning activist views were a direct response to the volatile dictatorial climate that engulfed the country in the 1950s and to the oil boom of the 1960s and ’70s. She embedded her work with social commentary to explore issues of class, gender construction and sexism. The female body is specifically addressed in Tofano’s visual art and writing as an affront to pervasive machismo and a reflection of her personal traumas. Her suite of forty-four pencil drawings, Evas al desnudo (Naked Eves), 1972, for example, directly referenced social stigmas and expectations imposed on women, particularly those involving reproductive and domestic labor. In Tofano’s narrative, Eve, the archetypal woman, is pictured in a multitude of scenarios, from the quotidian to the fantastical.
Towards the end of the 1970s, Tofano felt that she had exhausted the possibilities of visual art and refocused her energy and activist rhetoric on writing. The titular phrase, “This Body of Mine'' is borrowed from Epílogos (Epilogues), her 1987 book of poetry. Tecla Tofano’s corporeal ruminations across ceramics, drawings and writing underscore the artist’s deeply-rooted commitment to vocalizing the unspoken paradoxes of womanhood and to rendering visible what was once considered taboo.
To accompany this exhibition, James Cohan has published the first-ever monograph dedicated to the artist, co-edited by Gabriela Rangel and Luis Felipe Farías. It features an essay by Rangel, a detailed chronology by Farías, and translations of Tofano’s poetry and writing by Lucía Hinojosa Gaxiola.
Tecla Tofano was born in Naples, Italy, on March 5, 1927. In 1952, she moved to Caracas, Venezuela, where she studied ceramics at the School of Plastic and Applied Arts. Tofano was an outspoken public intellectual and influential activist who taught at the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas from 1959 to 1980. Beginning in the 1960s, she wrote for the newspaper El Nacional and authored several books of fiction and poetry including Quien inventó la silla (Who Invented The Chair?), 1968 and Yo misma me presento (I Introduce Myself), 1974. Tofano presented her work in exhibitions at numerous galleries and institutions in Caracas including the Museo de Bellas Artes and the Galería de Arte Nacional. She was awarded the Premio Oficial de Artes Aplicadas at the 19th Salón Oficial, Museo de Bellas Artes (Caracas, 1958); gold medal at the International Exhibition of Contemporary Ceramics (Prague, 1961); and silver medal at the Exposición Internacional de Cerámica (Buenos Aires, 1962).
In recent years, Tofano’s work has been featured in group exhibitions including the 2015-2016 exhibition, MODERNO, Design for living in Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela, 1940-1978 at the Americas Society, New York and the Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, Texas and the pivotal 2017 exhibition, Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960–1985, which traveled from Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, to the Brooklyn Museum, New York and Pinacoteca de São Paulo, Brazil. Her ceramics were included in Cecilia Alemani’s exhibition, The Milk of Dreams at the 2022 Venice Biennale. She is represented in the collections of Galería de Arte Nacional, Caracas, Venezuela and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas. Tecla Tofano died in Caracas on October 20, 1995.