SOM GALLERY is delighted to announce "Blocks and Planes", a solo exhibition by Boris Tellegen on view from April 25 to May 18. For Tellegen, this exhibition in Japan marks his first solo show in approximately seven years. In this exhibition, in addition to three-dimensional works made from materials such as concrete, bronze, and wood, flat works such as reliefs and collages will also be presented.

As a pioneer of international urban art, Tellegen has continued to deconstruct the letters of his pen name "DELTA" and reconstruct them into works and installations. His pieces have been praised worldwide and exhibited in many prestigious institutions. Since the late 2000s, his works have been recognized as contemporary art, and he has gained international recognition through installations, public art, and participation in large-scale exhibitions. In 2009, he participated in an exhibition organized by the Fondation Cartier, and in 2011, he showcased large-scale works at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In 2013, he presented his works at the renowned Palais de Tokyo in France. His influence has grown with each passing year.

The exhibition features a mix of semi-figurative images and abstract paper compositions. The works can be broadly categorized into stacked block forms and relatively flat layered relief collages.
The sculptures demonstrate technical proficiency and reveal a playful urge to build and construct. Sometimes based on letter forms, they explore the interplay of shape, tension, and balance. The block forms are a playful mix of naive, childlike stacking and strict, balanced compositions. There is a variety of materials used, including small bronze pieces, concrete, wood, and steel.
The relief works delve into themes of order and disorder, repetition and variation. Using strict rules of isometry and rhythm, they seek emotion in texture. The pieces titled 'Surfaced,' for example, offer a glimpse of underlying chaos concealed beneath a neat, uniform surface.
The two works 'ChrS Error' and 'Endgame' clearly illustrate the overlap between sculpture and paper. 'ChrS Error' is a bronze bar composed of letters, while 'Endgame' is based on similar drawings to the bronze sculpture. These drawings are then cut into pieces and reassembled into a layered stack of beams that once formed letters.

Boris Tellegen was born in 1968 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Starting in the 1980s, he began his career as a graphic artist under the name "DELTA," gaining attention for his 3D lettering style influenced by architecture, robotics, and Gundam. He continues to create a wide range of works, including objects, sculptures, illustrations, paintings, and collages.

Major solo exhibitions include “FINAL FANTASY” at Backslash (Paris, France, 2024), "121/183” at  Aambeeldstraat (Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2024) and Solo presentation at Art Island (IJmuiden, NetherLands, 2024) .
Major group exhibitions include "COLOUR IMAGE SPACE. Bart van der Leck in dialogue” at Museum Insel Hombroich (Neuss, Germany, 2024),  “Defumo” at Urban Spree (Berlin, Germany, 2023) and BEYOND THE STREETS at Saatchi Gallery (London, England, 2022).