Subliminal Projects is pleased to present YOUTH ETERNAL, by Portuguese artist Diogo Machado, aka ADD FUEL. In his inaugural Los Angeles solo exhibition, ADD FUEL debuts a series of works and projects that intimately narrate a transition from adolescence to maturity, presented through the artist’s diverse practice. The exhibition features an installation of his signature tile-based works, sculpture, a public mural at Subliminal Projects’ favorite local watering-hole Little Joy Cocktails in Echo Park, and a collaborative limited edition screenprint with gallery founder Shepard Fairey, to be released in conjunction with the opening of the exhibition.

“ADD FUEL’s art functions on several levels literally and metaphorically," Subliminal owner Shepard Fairey says. "His pieces master the aesthetics of traditional Portuguese tile work while adding his own playful character illustrations subversively woven into the designs. These two seemingly disparate styles are so elegantly blended together that discovering the oddity within the harmony is both bizarre and joyful. The actual and faux rips ADD FUEL incorporates into his art are more than just a nod to paper, the common material of modern street art, they’re also a provocative bit of visual dissonance since tiles don’t rip. Despite the incongruity of tiles and rips, ADD FUEL’s visually seductive compositions evoke a sense of time passed and a story behind each layer.”

Rooted in a post-modern reinterpretation of traditional Portuguese Azulejo ceramic tilework that dates back to the 15th century, ADD FUEL expertly fuses historical craft with contemporary material, concept and design. YOUTH ETERNAL, expands on his signature style with focus on a sentimental weaving of the past and the present through pop culture references from his youth within complex traditional patterns, creating a poetic rhythm of storytelling drawn from memories of his Portuguese origin and nostalgic youth.

“In my work, I always suggest an adventure, a journey through focused attention in the composition, and the discovery of nuance through layers, patterns, allegories, and the unstoppable constructive dynamism of the story I present in each piece," Add Fuel says. "It guides the viewer to discover intricate details, and a story over time, in each work I comprise in YOUTH ETERNAL."

SPECIAL EDITION LAUNCH
Add Fuel and Subliminal Projects founder Shepard Fairey will release a collaborative print in conjunction with the opening of YOUTH ETERNAL. Modular, 2022. 18 x 24 in. Screenprint on thick pure white paper. Signed by Add Fuel and Shepard Fairey. Num- bered edition of 500. $115. Available in-store at the opening reception Saturday, Nov 12, 7-10PM, and online Thursday, Nov 17, 10AM PDT on obeygiant.com.