Kennedy Yanko “The bond between matter and heaven” at the Corderia dell’Arsenal in Venice, 2026 Biennale

Kennedy Yanko’s work, presented at the Corderia dell’Arsenal at the 2026 Venice Art Biennale, is imposing and powerful, not only because of the size of his sculptures, but also because of the extreme twisting and compression undergone by the metal objects that serve as the material for his creations.

Kennedy Yanko The title of her exhibition: “The bond between matter and heaven” aptly sums up her work with matter—a heavy material that becomes lighter and rises once transformed by her.

The container, which forms the base of the largest of the sculptures on display, has been transformed from a rectangular object into a tall, colourful silhouette standing several metres high.

Were it not for the few embossed linear elements that still remain visible, it would be hard to imagine that this sculpture originated from a container.

After reshaping the original object to suit her creative needs, Kennedy Yanko breathes new life and a sense of lightness into it by painting it with pastel-coloured acrylic varnishes.

Certain parts of her sculptures thus take on the satiny sheen of silk, lending them a feminine visual softness that blends with the masculine twists of the raw metal.

Kennedy Yanko