In 1996, abandoning his paintbrushes and attracted by the usually neglected beauty of simple objects in daily use, he began to observe them with care, collect them, set them side by side and combine them , so that they became unusual instruments of a new aesthetic, full of color, irony and lively playfulness.

Uribe creates sculptures which are not sculpted but constructed and weaved, in all kinds of different ways, curious and unpredictable, repetitive and almost compulsive. They follow the classics canons of figurative and abstract art, but the result is absolutely unusual, whimsical, of enormous efficacy and communicability. When observed from close, his works reveal various kinds of interpretations; they invite us to touch them, to discover the detail and connection between one element and another. When viewed form further away, they offer volumes, forms, textures and color. Distance, proximity and perception are key factors in the interaction between Uribe’s work and its viewers.

Very important to Uribe, because it is a vital part of his creations is the title he gives them and that reveal his deep connections to language and literature. "Most of my work is based on words", says Uribe, "I sometimes start with a name and look for my objects, sometimes the object makes me think of the word, and I exploit it to create a work." A happy and sometimes disconcerting association of materials and ideas allows Uribe to put the former to the service of the latter, or the other way round, leading to metamorphoses guided by clearly defined conceptual procedures, aiming at irony and benevolent provocation.

Humor, beauty and love are essentially what remain in the memory of the viewer of Uribe’s work. For an artist who comes from a country that has been at war for almost half a century, this achievement is a way of reconciliation with life: “I have the hope,” says Uribe, “that people who relate to my sculptures and live with them, will see the love I put into them. I want people to feel that I do this with a lot of careful attention and the purpose of beauty. I give my life to my work and I want people to see it.”

Federico Uribe is currently represented by the Now Contemporary Art Gallery (www.nowcontemporaryart.com)