Theo Hirschfield: Euphorbia

Following Theo Hirschfield’s debut solo presentation last year, Gallery Sonder is proud to present the artist’s second exhibition with the gallery: Euphorbia.

In Euphorbia, Hirschfield elaborates on the style of composition that characterizes his previous bodies of work. The works recall alien flora, inspired by California native succulents and cacti. Their lush, taut exteriors suggest the volumes held within; the mystery of what’s inside is almost as tantalizing as the secret of how these bodies formed, where they source power, and how they live.

Over the past year, Hirschfield has prioritized a return to hand-building. Although the wheel continues to play a role, this body of work privileges the nuances and imperfections of the maker’s hand. From a distance, the works appear to perform an almost pharmaceutical exactitude, while up close, traces of construction and subtle asymmetries are visible. Hirschfield also approaches scale and proportion with a new ambition. His biomorphic forms now swell to human height or taller, prompting a physical renegotiation between viewer and art-object.

Hirschfield’s attention to sensory detail continues to inform his practice. Hirschfield employs the needlepoint technique seen in last year’s Flora and Fauna (2025) on surfaces assembled in linear, modular sections. Bulbous orbs rise from evenly spaced capsules arranged in geometric passages, seams are left visible, and scale is expanded until the work’s construction bleeds into its subject matter. Division and multiplication are slowed down so that the viewer can meditate on each module, evoking evolution as opposed to rapid mutation.

The forms in Euphorbia are sturdy, delectable, almost edible, save for the unexpected metallic crunch. Hirschfield’s forms recall fruit bred over decades for sweetness and shelf life, its wild ancestor transformed nearly beyond recognition. Walking through the exhibition feels like unwrapping a confection, its ingredients ambiguous, its brilliant shade owing more to imagination than nature, and biting into it anyway, because it’s delicious.