Bio Morphe

The Moody’s fall 2025 exhibition focuses on the topic of biomorphism—artistic styles that use occurring patterns or shapes inspired by nature— as seen through the lens of seven international artists. Their respective work highlights the impact of new technologies and industrial manufacturing processes on ever-changing relationships between the human body and the natural world. This presentation offers a pluridisciplinary approach to the concept through works that engage with a broad range of topics, from the application of scientific research to the role of gender in society. Bio Morphe allows visitors to explore parallels between experimental artworks and contemporary issues prompted by research in science and technology.

The selected artists approach the representation of living forms, including the human body, to question gender and the inherent tension between industrial production and handmade craft. For example, the work of Christina Quarles confronts gender stereotypes by painting fluid bodies that dismantle assumptions surrounding sexual and racial identities. Berenice Olmedo’s sculptures incorporate forms and materials from the medical field, such as prostheses and orthotics, to challenge the notion of human wholeness and to draw attention to the political dimensions of disability, illness, and care. Working with mass-produced industrial materials, Sui Park creates three-dimensional organic forms through fabrication processes that evoke cellular structures, while alluding to social interactions and recurring patterns in technology. Eva Fàbregas’s biologically inspired works stress sensorial encounters through large, wrinkled surfaces featuring folds that resemble the ways skin and organs respond to tension and release. A sculpture by Louise Bourgeois offers visitors insight into a pioneering twentieth-century artist’s engagement with the biological world and human psychology.

Another aspect of the exhibition highlights how artists engage with innovations in material science, specifically physical and chemical compounds developed for applications in engineering and bioscience. For example, Lucy Kim uses a laboratory-based printing process featuring genetically modified bacteria cells that produce melanin directly on paper. Through her investigative practice, Kim responds to research around designing and manipulating biological systems. Tishan Hsu highlights how digital technologies are increasingly shaping our visual perception of the world. His works illustrate the entanglement of distorted human features with surfaces that evoke computer screens and biomedical devices. 

At a time when scientific research is subject to increased public scrutiny, Bio Morphe foregrounds the ways in which artists can invite wide-ranging conversations about evolving relationships between the human body and the natural world by making visible findings that impact daily life. 

The artists featured in the exhibition are Eva Fabregas (b.1988 in Barcelona, Spain; lives in Barcelona), Tishan Hsu (b. 1951 in Boston, MA; lives in New York, NY), Lucy Kim (b. 1978 in Seoul, South Korea; lives in Cambridge, MA), Berenice Olmedo (b. 1987 in Oaxaca, Mexico; lives in Mexico City), Sui Park (b. 1977 in Seoul, South Korea; lives in New York, NY), Christina Quarles (b. 1985 in Chicago, IL; lives in Los Angeles, CA), and Louise Bourgeois (b. 1911 in Paris; d. 2010 in New York). 

The exhibition is curated by Frauke V. Josenhans, Guest Curator, Moody Center for the Arts. Graphic design is by Omnivore, Inc.: Alice Chung, Julie Cho, Karen Hsu.

Events
Opening reception: September 5, 6–8pm, Remarks from Eva Fàbregas, Lucy Kim, and Sui Park
Artists panel: September 6, 2–3pm, Hear from three featured artists, Eva Fàbregas, Lucy Kim, and Sui Park
Dimensions Variable—Gabrielle Lamb: October 9, 6–8pm, Dance response to the exhibition Bio Morphe choreographed by Guggenheim Fellow Gabrielle Lamb
Artists-in-Dialogue—Berenice Olmedo + Medical Humanities: November 12, 6–8pm, Conversation with Director Kirsten Ostherr, Dr. Ricardo Nuila, and the exhibiting artist Berenice Olmedo.