FRIEDAcommunity is proud to unveil, A Forest of Colors, by Michael Rex (Hooker) in an exhibition that invites viewers to pause, reflect and see anew.
The show runs daily from May 2 through August 30, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Begin the journey with us at the First Friday Opening Reception on May 1, featuring cocktails and a chance to meet the artist. Then, continue the conversation at an in-depth artist talk on May 20.
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100% of the sale proceeds of any artwork during the exhibition go to the artist. In return, we ask that any selected artist schedules time to engage with our community through a workshop, a demonstration, or a discussion.
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A Forest of Colors
Michael Rex’s first solo exhibition at FRIEDA brings together 40 vividly colored works developed over the course of the last 12 months.
A multidimensional artist, Rex creates biomorphic wire sculptures inspired by the fluid forms of living organisms. His pieces shift in presence as light and air move across them, transforming continuously throughout the day and night. Rex refers to these works as “floating forms” capturing their buoyant,
weightless quality. By night, when illuminated, they become especially captivating, casting intricate, ever-changing shadows that extend beyond the sculptures themselves to animate surrounding walls and spaces.
Each of his pieces is meticulously handcrafted using a variation of 14–20-gauge wire looped into continuous flowing structures. Some works are formed in anodized aluminium wire, while others use insulated copper to preserve the materials’ natural color, adding subtle tonal variation. The technique emphasizes delicacy and structural integrity, allowing complexity to emerge from repetition.
Rex’s artistic inspiration is deeply personal and two-fold. As a child, he watched his mother and grandmother knit yarn into intricate patterns, an early introduction to the power of line and form. Later, a transformative encounter with the work of artist Ruth Asawa in a 2017 exhibition expanded his vision of what wire could become.
With a lifelong background in the arts, including dance, music, and professional television performances, and a global career in the fashion industry, Rex brings a refined sense of movement, rhythm and design to his sculptural practice.
View artwork displayed at FRIEDA.
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FRIEDAcommunity would like to thank Mark Stephens and Tom Elwell for many hours dedicated to installing the exhibition. FRIEDAcommunity would not be as lively and nurturing as it is without its members, volunteers, and donors.
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FRIEDAcommunity – A Closer Look
May 1, 2026 – August 30, 2026
Monday – Sunday: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
FRIEDA 320 Walnut Street