When Earth Dreamt In Gold

Hechizoo's Solo Show By Jorge Lizarazo At Iwan Maktabi

Iwan Maktabi unveiled When Earth Dreamt in Gold, a special solo exhibition by the acclaimed Colombian studio Hechizoo. Two years in the making, the project marks an evolution of the studio’s practice and will be showcased for the first time at Iwan Maktabi’s flagship gallery in Jumeirah until mid-November, before travelling to Nomad Abu Dhabi 2025 as part of the fair’s Special Projects.

Conceived by artist Jorge Lizarazo as a poetic reflection on his travels around the world, When Earth Dreamt in Gold captures the dialogue between nature, material, and light – transforming his encounters with landscapes and cultures into woven expressions of gold and earth. Known internationally for its boundary-defying approach to weaving, Hechizoo’s upcoming presentation brings together an exclusive body of new works commissioned by Iwan Maktabi, transforming natural inspiration into luminous form, and bridging craft, sculpture, and textile art.

The immersive installation reimagines the language of weaving through metallic thread, natural fiber, and sculptural gesture. It unfolds like a dreamscape – where textures and memories shimmer in gold and silver light.

A dedicated room features a floor entirely covered in a bespoke tatami, handcrafted by a Japanese tatami master and sheathed in a woven metal surface in gold and silver tones. The space is complemented by Tatami Tea Tables and Daybeds in light walnut wood and bronze, adding warmth and harmony to the composition. On the walls, a large-scale tapestry pays homage to Monet’s Water Lilies, rendered in fine metallic threads that capture the fluidity of reflection and depth.

Elsewhere in the exhibition, a series of life-size woven sculptures evokes the spirit of the desert. An Arabian Oryx in metal wire and a Saker Falcon in flight reflect the balance between materiality and movement.

The Original Sin, a striking floor piece depicting a mix of fauna and flora, invited the idea of meditation on myth, temptation, and rebirth.

Among the highlights are 2016 Noches, a lighting piece unveiling intricate metal carvings; Petra Tapestry, a floor runner that reinterprets the elegance of Petra; Mompox Corteza, which fuses Cordon and bronze slides; and The Rising Sun Lamp, handcrafted with bronze and metal, embodying Asian aesthetics in design.

Completing the journey is a group of carpets from copper, gilded bronze, nylon, fique, and jute, showcasing the studio’s mastery in merging innovation with material storytelling.

Founded by architect and artist Jorge Lizarazo, Hechizoo has earned international recognition for expanding the boundaries of traditional textile design. Working from Bogotá, the studio collaborates with architects and artists around the world – including Nilufar Gallery in Milan – crafting installations and woven environments that merge art, architecture, and alchemy.

One of the showcased works, Tribute to Haiku channels poetic stillness through delicate threads of copper, natural fibres, and polymetal – echoing the harmony between nature and contemplation.

“This exhibition feels like a dialogue between continents,” says Mohamed Maktabi, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Iwan Maktabi. “Hechizoo’s work carries the spiritual intensity of craft and the luminosity of dream – deeply rooted in nature, yet constantly transcending it.”