SoMad is pleased to present new work from artist David Aliperti’s meditative and ever-evolving sculptural series, Mother Tree, at Alcova Milan. This distinctive body of work, composed of highly intricate, intimately-scaled sculptures, transports viewers into a vibrant world brimming with imaginative and resplendent flora, fauna, and biomorphic forms, which invite reconsideration of the boundaries between art, design, and experience.
Located in one of Alcova Milan’s new sites this year, the Pasino glasshouses, which is nestled within the greenery of the outdoor gallop track adjacent to Villa Bagatti Valsecchi and was formerly home to one of Europe’s largest white orchid cultivations, SoMad’s presentation is situated amongst this spectacular natural backdrop—framing Aliperti’s vibrant works within the beautifully decaying armature of these overgrown, sun-filled greenhouses.
Raised near the mountainous Tijuca forest of Rio de Janerio, Aliperti has a deep connection with the natural world and a profound recognition for the transformative power of nature—a space free of judgment where authenticity can emerge and thrive. His artistic practice is a direct outgrowth of these influences in early childhood, during which time he often used materials readily found at hand: shredding paper and leaves, and stacking objects to form small sculptures. For Aliperti, art, much like nature, has consequently served as a place for unfiltered expression, one rooted in qualities that are essential for all people, and marginalized groups in particular: wonder, resilience, and transformation.
Developed in collaboration with SoMad, during Aliperti’s time as the organization’s inaugural artist-in-residence, the sculptures in his Mother Tree series are meticulously crafted from air dry clay. This lightweight material allows the artist to construct forms without scaffolding, enabling new, gravity-defying flora to ascend almost weightlessly. Though it takes many hours of meditative handwork to create the numerous petals and stems of each plant, the sculptural process that Aliperti has cultivated fosters an open-ended approach, unencumbered by premeditation or preset expectations where colors and forms can unfold organically.
Each sculpture, whether displayed as part of expansive landscapes or as individual objects, reflects the artist’s personal journey throughout the creation process. Meditative, intuitive, and labor-intensive, these idiosyncratic works quietly communicate a vulnerability and intuition that transcends language, inviting kindness and an embrace of the unknown. At first glance, Aliperti’s sculptures may resemble a succulent, forest , or insect, but upon closer inspection, the forms defy categorization, evoking the universal essence of nature: alive, ever-changing, and full of possibility.
To accompany their presentation at Alcova Milan, SoMad has produced a new book foregrounding Aliperti’s collaboration with Taiwanese-born, lens-based artist Yi Hsuan Lai. By situating Aliperti’s sculptures within surreal landscapes, Lai has created a series of photographs that immerse viewers in a magical world—documenting and imparting the processes of discovery and creation central to Aliperti’s practice.
ABOUT DAVID ALIPERTI
David Aliperti (b. 1981, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is a multimedia artist whose work speaks of imagined worlds, ecosystems, and the intersection of nature, science, and spirituality. After earning BA from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and Polimoda in Florence, Italy, Aliperti was awarded a full scholarship by the Institut Français de la Mode in Paris, France to pursue his MFA in Luxury Design. He has worked for and collaborated with brands including Louis Vuitton, Oscar de la Renta, and Collina Strada.
ABOUT YI HSUAN LAI
Yi Hsuan Lai (b. 1988, Taiwan) is a lens-based artist who incorporates handmade sculptures, found materials, and her body for staged photography in two and three dimensions, exploring themes of adaptation, uncertainty, and femininity. She has received residency fellowships from Light Work (2024) and Vermont Studio Center (2023), and participated in the NYFA immigration program in 2023. Her solo exhibitions include NARS Foundation (2024), Gallery 456 (2024), and Spring Break Art Show (2020), with group exhibitions at Photo London (2023), Floor_Gallery (2023), Wassaic Project (2022), and Well Well Project (2022). Lai's work was recognized among LensCulture's Critics' Top 10 Choices in 2022.
Press
"The Surface Guide to Milan Design Week 2025" by David Graver in Surface Magazine
"Alcova dwells on design and its contentious contexts at Milan Design Week 2025" by Mrinmayee Bhoo in Stir World
