Ikon presents UPRIGHT, a major exhibition of rarely seen works by acclaimed contemporary artist Angela de la Cruz, alongside a new commission developed in collaboration with Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Guest curated by Carolina Grau, the exhibition brings together key sculptures, installations and paintings that explore de la Cruz’s deep concern with the human body, vulnerability and the physical realities of everyday survival.

For more than three decades, Angela de la Cruz has pushed the boundaries of painting and sculpture. Her works interrogate what happens when familiar structures — physical, emotional or architectural — collapse, strain or resist pressure.

Visitors to UPRIGHT first encounter Still Life with Table (2000) – a black canvas roughly stretched over collapsed domestic objects – and Limp (Brown)(2000), a stretched painting held upright by another canvas that has been stitched into it. In Bloated III (Blue) (2012) a shimmering metal box– hammered from the inside – evokes the liminal state between one form and another. Capturing the physical dimensions of de la Cruz’s body, these sculptural paintings invite reflection on human adaption and resilience.

At the heart of the exhibition is Transfer (White) with armchair (2011). Drawing on de la Cruz’s long periods spent in hospital after her stroke in 2005, the poignant sculpture reflects her experience of the seemingly eternal wait to be moved and reliance on others, with a single box that traces the volume of her body suspended between two poles. Almost entirely white, the installation creates a seemingly perfect environment – sterilised and neutral – while keeping the viewer at a distance.

The title of the exhibition, UPRIGHT, implies standing straight – both alone and with support – to remain vertical. Figurative associations between objects depict this stance with pathos and humour: in Three Legged Chair on Stool (2002) a chair deprived of one leg manages to stay upright by sitting on a stool, while in Reach (Red & Black) Two Parts (2002), a painting squashes another canvas as it climbs on top to reach above it.

A major new commission sits at the core of UPRIGHT. Since October 2025, de la Cruz has spent time with dancers from Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB), observing rehearsals for Sir Peter Wright’s acclaimed production of The Nutcracker. The resulting work draws parallels between the broken nutcracker doll, the dancers’ ability to convey fragility and strength, and the artist’s own method of binding materials into elegant yet robust forms. A unique response to de la Cruz’s work by BRB artist Olivia Chang‑Clarke will also be presented during the exhibition.

Several works in UPRIGHT have not been seen for more than 20 years. Upright Piano (1999) – a sculpture in which de la Cruz joined and restrung a piano with the bottom section of another to create an instrument that could be played at standing height – will be restored and activated by professional musicians. Through these evocative object-based narratives, de la Cruz highlights life’s shifting conditions: from the joy of dance and music to the body’s remarkable ability to adapt to the most challenging physical circumstances.

Born in La Coruña, Spain, and based in London, Angela de la Cruz (b. 1965) has been a leading figure in contemporary sculpture and expanded painting for more than thirty years. She was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2010, and this exhibition marks her first solo exhibition in the UK outside London.

The exhibition is generously supported by Henry Moore Foundation  the Embassy of Spain Office for Cultural & Scientific Affairs, Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), Ikon Benefactor Jonathan Wearing and Galerie Thomas Schulte.