15th September 2025
Harris’ work “Mega Nail in Lady Alleyn Red” (2025) is now on view in the Sculpture Garden at Dulwich Picture Gallery.
The Open Art initiative launches a new series of contemporary sculptural installations, which will continually evolve across all areas of the Sculpture Garden. Works by leading contemporary artists will explore themes of nature and play, and connect with the Gallery’s Collection, aiming to spark curiosity and fun for people of all ages.
Visitors can expect to encounter sculptures by artists including Amy Stephens, Harold Offeh and Makiko Harris. New Sculptures will join existing works by Yinka Shonibare, Li Li Ren, Peter Randall-Page and Rob and Nick Carter.
Jennifer Scott, Director of Dulwich Picture Gallery, said: “What a huge moment this is for Dulwich Picture Gallery as we transform our outdoor spaces. I am immensely grateful to all the supporters who have helped us to make our vision a reality, staying true to the Gallery’s founding idea that great art is made for sharing.”
Makiko Harris explores the complexities of femininity and power through the magnification of everyday symbols, particularly long painted fingernails. Often seen as icons of performative femininity, these nails are recontextualized in her art as both armor and body, challenging their conventional association with passivity and compliance.
The nails, symbolic of a desire for control, power and even a separation from others due to their impracticality, take on an almost comical scale in the sculptures, transforming into armor-like shields that both protect and expose the vulnerability within the paintings.
Through these works, Harris questions and subverts traditional symbols of femininity, presenting them as complex multifaceted forms that embody both strength and vulnerability.
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