February 6 - 9, 2025

Povos Gallery

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Isabella Mellado’s visually arresting 21-foot triptych, “Baile para el Señor de los Muertos,” was set to make its highly anticipated debut at Feria Material, Vol. 11 in Mexico City today—but due to shipping delays, it remains in limbo, a victim of circumstances beyond anyone’s control.

This series of paintings, which explores the delicate balance between control and surrender, roots itself in a deeply personal performance staged in a Puerto Rican forest. There, Mellado danced barefoot, masked, and holding a golden skeleton adorned with nail gems—captured on camera by her sister as the song of coquí frogs and the hum of insects echoed through the trees. This moment is a powerful meditation on mortality, ritual, and the strength found in embracing the unknown.

In the face of this setback, Mellado embraced the same themes of surrender and strength that her work explores. While waiting for the delivery delays to be resolved, Mellado will continued her performance live at Expo Reforma, using charcoal, a material made through the process of fire and endurance, to further her narrative within hand-made frames, impressed with hand-carved linoleum blocks, all crafted in Mexico City.