Alexandra Zsigmond presents a series of paintings, drawings, prints, and metalworks that explore existing visual lexicons—from Greek votive offerings to the work of modern sculptors—reimagining their recurring symbolism into a new semiotics of form and ritual.

The exhibition coincides with the publication of Figures of Crisis, art historian Joanna Fiduccia‘s monograph on Alberto Giacometti, for which Alexandra created the cover art. Original paintings for the book are shown alongside works inspired by sculptors including Isamu Noguchi, Barbara Hepworth, and Louise Bourgeois. Alexandra reassembles their visual vocabularies into new compositions, imagining playful encounters and unearthing historical echoes between artists and artworks. 

Also included is a copper garment inspired by tamata—the Greek Orthodox votive offerings for prayer and healing. Commissioned by the Wellcome Collection in 2022, the wearable sculpture offers symbolic protection against both the evil eye and infectious disease, with embossed forms derived from microscopic images of pathogens such as hantavirus, ebola, and coronavirus. The preparatory drawings for the project, arranged in a large grid, are based on Alexandra‘s research on eye iconography in ancient and contemporary culture.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Alexandra Zsigmond (b. 1982) is a New York-based visual artist of Greek and Hungarian descent, originally from San Francisco. Her drawings, paintings, and works on metal explore visual lexicons and semiotic systems in art history, archaeology, and science. Alexandra is also an art director and has curated editorial illustration for The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Hammer&Hope. She teaches in the MFA Illustration programs at SVA and RISD.

YOU CAN SEE THE OFFICIAL CATALOG FOR THIS SHOW BY CLICKING HERE.