Press Release

For Art Basel Miami Beach, Mrs. is pleased to present new works by Sachiko Akiyama and Robert Zehnder. Akiyama’s carved wood sculptures transform natural materials into forms reflecting processes of change, drawing from mythology, art history, and science. Zehnder’s psychologically charged landscapes, shaped by isolation and anxiety, explore shifting inner and external worlds. For both artists, nature becomes a site through which personal and universal questions unfold.

Akiyama’s use of wood is central to her practice. Shaped by time and growth, the material acts as a metaphor for lived experience. Through carving, an act of removal and revelation, she uncovers forms that retain traces of their making. Her sculptures invite contemplation of what lies beneath the surface and the connections between human and natural systems. While her juxtapositions of symbolic and organic elements may suggest narrative, they function more like poetry, conveying mood through intuitive combinations. Her process embraces chance and discovery, guided as much by instinct as intention.

Zehnder’s undulating landscapes are devoid of the human figure, positioning the earth as the protagonist. His paintings depict nature shaped by industrial forces, reflecting contemporary instability. Drawing from Thomas Hart Benton, Grant Wood, and the Hudson River School, he constructs surreal terrains that fold and collapse into themselves. Stacked horizon lines create quilt-like compositions that reject hierarchy and generate movement. This fragmented structure mirrors how memory reconstructs experience, producing landscapes that feel both familiar and disorienting. Through shifting perspectives, Zehnder builds cartographic, post-digital spaces that explore perception and imagined worlds.

Together, Akiyama and Zehnder offer distinct yet complementary perspectives on the environment, its capacity for renewal, and its ability to reflect inner states. Their presentation spans sculptural forms and large-scale paintings, emphasizing nature as both generative and destabilizing.

Sachiko Akiyama (b. 1973) earned an MFA from Boston University and attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. She has exhibited at Mrs. (Maspeth, NY); the University of New Hampshire Gallery of Art; the Center for Maine Contemporary Art; and in collaboration with Dunes Gallery and Night Gallery. She currently has a solo exhibition at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art through May 2026. Her honors include a Joan Mitchell Fellowship, an Artist Resource Trust Grant, and residencies at Millay Arts and Ucross.

Robert Zehnder (b. 1992) received a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2015. His work has been exhibited at White Cube and Josh Lilley (London); C L E A R I N G (New York and Los Angeles); David Zwirner (New York, NY; Los Angeles, CA; London, UK; Paris, FR; Hong Kong, CN); Mrs. (Maspeth, NY); DOCUMENT (Chicago); and The Warehouse (Dallas). His work is held in the collections of ICA Miami; The Mint Museum (Charlotte); the Aïshti Foundation (Lebanon); The X Museum (Beijing); and The Warehouse (Dallas).