Passages

31 March - 28 April

This group show brings together four artists working with paint and textiles. The show humbly suggests that what we see is but a partial view of reality. Another reality co-exists, concealed beneath the visible world. The pieces displayed in this Spring Exhibition serve as conduits to this realm – they possess an ethereal quality, providing ‘passages’ to embark on a journey of introspection and wonder, traversing thresholds of consciousness.

The artists’ works can be said to be characterised by an atmospheric realism. They skilfully capture the tangible details of their subject matter. However, the use of a muted or subdued palette, subtle blending, and a soft focus, create atmospheres of ambiguity and obscurity. In this way, the artists are able to explore the different ‘passages’ between the realms of imagination, representation, dreams, and reality. Jasper Cheng and Carol Douglas‘ spectral subjects feel present and haunting, as if they really do exist somewhere in space and time. Meanwhile, Vivien Thomason’s melting, abstract paintings dissolve any attempt to represent the world around us statically and objectively. The exhibition is therefore an earnest exploration of the worlds beyond the physical, which are often relegated to realms of lesser truth or validity.

‘Passages’ extends an invitation to transcend the confines of habitual perception, urging viewers to embrace the sensation of venturing into places unknown – an immense world of delight.