Combining neoprene with visible bolts, nuts and metal fittings, this sculpture perfectly illustrates Tapta's fascination with construction as an essential visual element. Rather than concealing the mechanics of assembly, she celebrates them, allowing the structural components to become an integral part of the composition. The contrast between the supple neoprene and the rigid metal connections generates a compelling dialogue between flexibility and strength.

Tapta, pseudonym of the Polish-Belgian sculptor Maria Wierusz-Kowalski (1926–1997), arrived in Belgium as a political refugee after the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 and trained as a weaver at La Cambre in Brussels. From the late 1980s she turned from textile to industrial neoprene, joining rubber panels with metal fittings into open, articulated structures. She led La Cambre's textile workshop, from 1976 to 1990, shaping a generation of Belgian sculptors.

Exhibitions: Maurice Verbaet Gallery – BRAFA, Brussels, Belgium — 28/01/2024–04/02/2024 · Espace Constantin Chariot, Brussels, Belgium — Shapes & Spaces: Post-War Belgian Sculptures — 17/11/2024 – 12/01/2025