Charlie Smits presents Beauty Salon, an exhibition that brings the imagery of the beauty salon into the artistic realm. The show features 26 unique, limited works and proposes a journey through different spaces of transformation, identity and aesthetics.
Resin, canvas, digital art, ceramics and textile art coexist within a unified visual proposal. Each piece forms part of a shared conceptual framework. Beyond formal display, Beauty Salon approaches the beauty salon as a site of change, where aesthetics function as a tool for construction and representation.
The project consolidates Smits’ artistic language, based on the creation of distinctive visual worlds. His work combines humour, glamour, camp, horror vacui and an ongoing exploration of the queer. The artist’s practice sits between illustration, animation and sculpture, while reinforcing his position within the contemporary art scene.
A diverse, coherent and expanded universe
The 26 works that make up the exhibition are original and one of a kind. They differ in colour, format or composition, yet all belong to the same visual narrative. They are not conceived as decorative objects, but as works that encourage conversation, reflection and critical positioning.
Beauty Salon takes as its starting point the artist’s first solo show in Madrid, presented at Espacio OHM. From there, it continues his research into the posthuman, camp and the performativity of change. The result is a recognisable aesthetic universe in constant evolution, where transformation operates both as a central theme and as a working method.
Collaboration with Nim Salón
As part of the immersive experience, Smits has developed a special collaboration with Nim Salón, a well-known hair salon in Madrid. This partnership takes shape in six masks featured in the exhibition, which have been intervened with professionally dyed and treated hair by the salon’s team of stylists.
Each mask functions as a hybrid piece. In them, the artist’s visual language is combined with hairdressing techniques. The result reinforces the concept of aesthetic transformation and extends the exhibition experience beyond the purely visual.
Merchandising as an artistic extension
The exhibition is complemented by exclusive merchandise conceived as an extension of the Beauty Salon universe. The objects can be acquired as collectable pieces, positioning the merchandise as a way of widening access to the artistic project.
These items maintain the visual and conceptual line of Smits’ work and allow the public to incorporate them into their own collections.
Career and context
Charlie Smits has exhibited his work in Amsterdam (RAI), Valencia, Berlin, Almería and various spaces in Madrid, and plans to expand his presence into Asia. His practice is characterised by careful production, the use of quality materials and close control of every stage of the creative process. The development of evolving series also allows for narrative continuity, both for the artist and for those who collect his work.
Beauty Salon thus reaffirms Smits’ position as one of the most solid and innovative projects at the intersection of visual art, performativity and queer culture.
The exhibition Beauty Salon can be visited from 10 to 20 December at Espacio OHM, by appointment, replicating the experience of visiting an actual beauty salon.
Sigue toda la información de HIGHXTAR desde Facebook, Twitter o Instagram