SOLO

A paradox often found in the artist’s work — that of abundance built from limited resources, in transient, belonging-to-no-one places, for no longer than necessary — returns in this exhibition through a selection of works that are epic in narrative power yet miniature in scale. The scenes, presented in dialogue as vignettes, are dramatically concentrated: a punctuated gesture, a step in a particular direction, a head bowed in a certain way — all are expressive tools chosen by the artist-director to approach themes such as the experience of migration, gender stereotypes, queer desire, hierarchical tensions, and gentleness as a form of strength. The repertoire of characters is diverse: bodies of all kinds and ages, in intimate repose or heroic motion, each fully devoted to the moment. The scenography — suggestions of natural landscapes or urban spaces — and the placement of the figures resemble a flowing script, at once simple and richly embellished, seemingly continuing beyond the page and linking the works together in countless combinations. These works are infused with the energy of mobility — present both in their genesis, as most were created on the move, outside the studio, between temporary homes, using itinerant materials such as paper, chalk, ink, pencil, short-handled brushes, and pigments in portable containers — and in their flexible modes of display, ranging from albums, portfolios, and folders to installations (the latter being the form chosen for this occasion). The exhibition selection also includes, shown for the first time, laboratory elements — compositions made during the artist’s transition from her previous visual-notes style to her current, transformation-embracing approach — as well as contour studies essential in the preparation of larger compositions. Together, these elements create a space — both metaphorical and physical — of abundance, rescued here from its unfortunate association with consumerism and reimagined as an expression of resilience, intra-community healing, and a place open to all. Text by Alex Bodea