A rare group of early works by Christo will be on offer as part of Colnaghi's presentation for Frieze Masters this October.

Frieze Masters, takes place in Regents Park, London, 13 – 17 October 2021.  

Christo: Early Works 1958-1968 comprises nine sculptural works as well as select works on paper produced in the first years of what would become a prolific and legendary career. Highlights include Two Wrapped Chairs (1961), whose form and function are obscured by thick cloth secured by rope, and Wrapped Magazines (Kim Novak), (1962), Wrapped Road Sign (1963) and Wrapped Vespa (1963-1964), which reflect an early practice of using sheets of polyethylene to encase found objects.  

These works will be presented alongside two portrait busts from antiquity, notably the Roman Portrait Head of a Veiled Woman (2nd Century AD), as well as sculpture by Claes Oldenburg and Roy Lichtenstein, and painting by Piero Dorazio, Hans Hartung, Heinz Mack, and Walter Leblanc, reflecting Colnaghi's mission of supporting cross-category collecting.

Born as Christo Javacheff, Christo (1935-2020) first became intrigued by the idea of wrapping found objects in the late 1950s after defecting to Paris from his native Bulgaria in 1957. From these small-scale, early wrapped objects to monumental outdoor projects, Christo together with Jeanne-Claude, his partner in life and art, transcended the traditional bounds of painting, sculpture, and architecture in their creative practice. The artists have been the subject of major exhibitions around the world, including at the Centre Pompidou (2020), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (2004) and Martin-Groupius-Bau (2001).

Currently on view is L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, which covers the iconic arch in the city where Christo and Jean-Claude first met with 25,000 square meters of recyclable polypropylene fabric and 3,000 meters of red rope. Realized posthumously, the installation brings to life a vision that Christo and Jeanne-Claude first had nearly 60 years ago.