Event Spotlight: Giulia Grillo aka PETITE DOLL, A Debut Exhibition Presented by The Untitled Space

#byLizPublika

"In a Parallel Universe" by Giulia Grillo aka Petite Doll at The Untitled Space

Giulia Grillo, who goes by Petite Doll in the industry, is an artist whose surrealism is thought-provoking as well as gorgeous and grotesque. Whether it's through photography, videography, and/or sculpture, Grillo's observations and social commentary is often sardonic and poignant, but pretty much always visually striking.

"The Baking of a Cake" by Giulia Grillo aka Petite Doll at The Untitled Space

As such, the art of Giulia Grillo has captured the attention of Indira Cesarine, the creative behind New York City’s celebrated The Untitled Space. While Grillo has been featured in a number of shows at the gallery, she is currently gearing up for her debut solo exhibit in the U.S. that opens on November 4th and will be available through November 19th.

"Insomnia" by Giulia Grillo aka Petite Doll at The Untitled Space

Presented by The Untitled Space and curated by Cesarine, the self-titled exhibition will predominantly focus on the artist’s surrealist performance-based photography. Embodying different characters and placing them in unusual settings, Grillo forgoes the traditional rules of the medium and embraces the uncomfortable, the unconventional, and the bizarre.

"Emotional Baggage" by Giulia Grillo aka Petite Doll at The Untitled Space

By posing specific questions and distorting intricate concepts, she is able to both hold a mirror to contemporary society and draw attention to the fears and desires that fuel many of our actions. If one aims to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, then surrealism is an effective tool to do just that.

"Speak from the Heart" by Giulia Grillo aka Petite Doll at The Untitled Space

From elaborate sculptures and everyday objects to special polymer clays, SFX prosthetics, resins and plasters, Grillo crafts costumes and sets that then help her create elaborate worlds, both real and digital, for her alter ego. Though she tries to avoid established beauty standards, her characters are still rather appealing and intriguing.

"Cherries on Top" by Giulia Grillo aka Petite Doll at The Untitled Space

“Under the moniker ‘Petite Doll,’ I use my own figure to impersonate abstracted feelings and compelling themes,” writes Grillo in her artist statement. “In my self-portraits, I try to simulate the appearance of a doll in order to create a dreamlike dimension that raises questions about what is real and what is not,” she elaborates.

"The Sweetest Piece" by Giulia Grillo aka Petite Doll at The Untitled Space

“Sometimes it seems that there’s a lot of Photoshop work going on, but I always use real objects, as they give a sense of materiality that is not always achievable digitally… If you look closely at my art, you’ll see that everything creates contrast, even the way I use colors. I create a visual balance between opposites: Beautiful and grotesque, rational and irrational, desire and repulsion, delicacy and brutality, reality and dreams.”

"The Crab Girl" by Giulia Grillo aka Petite Doll at The Untitled Space

A number of works from Grillo’s ongoing series The Crab Girl will premiere at the exhibition, as well as a selection from her latest mixed-media project, In the Name of Perpetual Connection. Check out these and other works at The Untitled Space starting on November 4th, and RSVP to attend the opening.

Note* All of the event information and images are provided by our partners.