Third Space Studios is pleased to present It’s not too late for you and me, the first solo exhibition of Colombian American artist Nicole Giraldo’s sculptural work.

 

Curated by Melina Tsalikis, It’s not too late for you and me features twenty high-fire ceramic figures hand-built by Giraldo. Each charming anthropomorphic bird is carefully glazed in an array of vibrant, eye-catching colors that are reminiscent of South Florida’s natural world and architectural color palettes. Unique poses bring each bird to life, and the playful arrangement of the work contributes to the rhythm of the exhibition. Seen individually, each figure asserts its own personality and presence, but together they form a lively flock.

 

​Giraldo celebrates the things that make a person unique as well as the camaraderie found in community, and her work captures this duality. Each bird is named Jon, a nod to the men in her family who share this name and a familiar name in the broader American landscape (think: John Doe, a common placeholder name), yet no two are alike. One Jon, about the size of a potato and pale yellow with brown speckles, appears to have no wings, or perhaps has his wings tucked away. He looks up at the sky, a gleam in his eyes where the glaze has bubbled and vitrified into small, bright spheres. A second Jon, slightly smaller than the first, only has glaze on his head, exposing the warm brown of the clay body Giraldo uses when creating her pieces. This Jon’s wings end in small, glove-like hands that make it seem like he is proudly holding his hands to his hips – or just cradling his tiny potbelly. Another Jon, bright red, can be seen in the middle of a joyful dance, his wings and a leg lifted in the air. Even with these individual distinctions, the figures share a sculptural language that feels unmistakably Giraldo’s, creating a sense of cohesion through form and gesture.

 

The collection of Jons featured in this exhibition, and in fact Giraldo’s practice at large, exists in an interesting in-between space. Ceramics is one of the oldest art forms in human history. It is a deeply grounding practice, processing organic material from the earth, and it is a practice steeped in tradition. While Giraldo’s work was produced with contemporary sensibilities, it does not stray from the ancient quality of the medium. As a motif, the Jons themselves do not seem to belong to any one moment in time. From pre-Columbian ceramic figures found across Mesoamerica to carved stone birds from places like New Guinea, avian forms have long carried symbolic weight. They have been talismans or markers of status; they have stood in for hopes of protection, prosperity, or safe passage. Giraldo’s work does not quote these histories outright, but it moves parallel to them. There is a timelessness to these bird figures that makes them fully engaged with the present even with their ancient ties.

 

With their beautiful feathers, trilling songs, and ability to fly, birds are creatures set apart from the rest of the animal kingdom – and certainly from the human world. In art and literature, they have long symbolized freedom, power, and spiritual connection, evoking aspirations that often feel beyond reach. Giraldo’s birds, however, do not pressure the viewer to fulfill these ideals. The Jons often do not achieve them themselves, with their amusingly bumpy bodies and seemingly nonfunctional wings. The Jons simply are. Their inviting, uncomplicated presence is a gentle reminder of possibility without burden. Through this work, Giraldo encourages viewers to see themselves in the birds. If these strange little birds represent the “Everyman,” they create space for reflection on our own lives and relationships, with others, and with ourselves.

 

It’s not too late for you and me affirms that this reflection can be optimistic. It is a sincere declaration that our goals are tangible; like these small, playful birds, we can reach toward something, and in doing so, recognize our own longing for a future that is warm, colorful, and shared.