{"id":3422,"date":"2025-12-11T09:58:31","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T16:58:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=3422"},"modified":"2025-12-11T09:58:31","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T16:58:31","slug":"medieval-motifs-and-pop-culture-converge-in-jorge-manes-rubios-beaded-sculptures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=3422","title":{"rendered":"Medieval Motifs and Pop Culture Converge in Jorge Ma\u00f1es Rubio\u2019s Beaded Sculptures"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Medieval<\/p>\n

From sequins, glass beads<\/a>, rhinestones, plaster, paint, and more, Jorge Ma\u00f1es Rubio<\/a> sculpts new narratives from ancient tales. Drawing on the motifs of Spanish illuminated manuscripts, as well as family heirlooms and pop culture, the artist explores the relationship between past and present, reinterpreting religious imagery into unexpected forms like beaded basketballs<\/a> and other functional objects.<\/p>\n

One recent work, \u201cLa Noche que Desvela una Luz sin Medida,\u201d fashions a black safety glove used by motocross racers into a form that evokes a medieval gauntlet. It\u2019s embellished with flame motifs, twisted cord, glass, and tiny medallions that the artist\u2019s great-grandmother collected at monasteries across Europe in the early 20th century. Situated on a handmade pedestal, it\u2019s displayed like an important artifact or relic rather than a utilitarian garment.<\/p>\n

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Front view of \u201cMay These Whispers Turn Into Armour\u201d (2024), from the series \u2018New Prophets,\u2019 wood, paper pulp, plaster, brass wire, glass beads, and thread, 82 x 40 x 40 centimeters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIn Spanish, the word\u00a0desvela<\/em>\u00a0carries a double meaning: to uncover, but also to remain awake because of vigilance or devotion, echoing the shimmering details that gleam all across this dark, armoured piece,\u201d Rubio says in a statement. The glove is decorated with beaded flames and rows of colorful rhinestones while also incorporating the Fox Racing logo as a nod to the artist\u2019s love of motocross, which is itself a passion passed down through the generations in his family.<\/p>\n

Like many of Rubio\u2019s works, the composition blends time-honored motifs with modern elements. \u201cIn this way, two opposite worlds collide: slow, time-consuming hand-embroidery techniques meet fast paced, bold graphics on cushioned protective gear; a motocross glove transformed into a contemporary reliquary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additional pieces in Rubio\u2019s ongoing New Prophets <\/em>series include a chair with a hand-sculpted frame and a number of beaded reliefs in artist-made frames that reinterpret the aesthetic of medieval painted manuscript pages into glowing contemporary scenes. Find more on the artist\u2019s website<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cLa Noche que Desvela una Luz sin Medida\u201d (2025), safety glove, glass beads, sequins, glass rhinestones, various medals, cords, textile and thread, wood, plaster, marble dust, and acrylic, 53 x 26 x 17 centimeters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Detail of \u201cLa Noche que Desvela una Luz sin Medida\u201d <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Reverse view of \u201cLa Noche que Desvela una Luz sin Medida\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\u201cI Know That You Are By My Side\u201d (2024), from the series \u2018New Prophets,\u2019 sequins, glass beads, and gold leaf on canvas; wood, clay, plaster, gesso, acrylic, and glass rhinestones, 80 x 70 x 5 centimeters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Detail of \u201cI Know That You Are By My Side\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Rear view of \u201cMay These Whispers Turn Into Armour\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Detail of front view of \u201cMay These Whispers Turn Into Armour\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\u201cLa Palma Me Llev\u00f3 El Alma\u201d (2024), from the series \u2018New Prophets,\u2019 sequins, glass beads, and gold leaf on canvas; wood, clay, plaster, gesso, acrylic, and glass rhinestones, 80 x 70 x 5 centimeters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Detail of \u201cLa Palma Me Llev\u00f3 El Alma\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\u201cNebuchadnezzar\u2019s Dream\u201d (2023), from the series \u2018New Prophets,\u2019 sequins, glass beads, and gold leaf on canvas; wood, clay, plaster, gesso, acrylic, and glass rhinestones, 80 x 70 x 5 centimeters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member<\/a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Medieval Motifs and Pop Culture Converge in Jorge Ma\u00f1es Rubio\u2019s Beaded Sculptures<\/a> appeared first on Colossal<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From sequins, glass beads, rhinestones, plaster, paint, and more, Jorge Ma\u00f1es Rubio sculpts new narratives from ancient tales. Drawing on the motifs of Spanish illuminated manuscripts, as well as family…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3422"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3422\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}