Nós abraçamos a tigre, e estamos preparados para seguir adiante We hugged the tiger, and we are ready to go on

Ernesto Neto
Nós abraçamos a tigre, e estamos preparados para seguir adiante We hugged the tiger, and we are ready to go on, 2018
Printed cotton fabric and wooden knobs
Work: 144 x 247 x 6 cm

We hugged the tiger now we are ready to go on forms part of a series by Ernesto Neto which he describes as ‘resonating with the vibrations and energy of the earth’s soil’. The hand-crocheted works in this series titled The Earth’s Belly, created for Neto’s first solo exhibition at Goodman Gallery last year, are made from traditional Brazilian and African textiles, with the latter being used in this work. In bringing these different materials together, Neto suggests how cultures develop and transform through globalisation and exchange, while still maintaining an inherent connection. By further interweaving organic shapes out of this fabric, the artist mimics the network of roots, soil and animals: lives which exist beneath the earth’s surface and bring to mind the energy of the earth, ‘from a historical, mineral, biological and spiritual point of view,’ says Neto.