THE SECRET AND THE SACRED

Galerie ISA is pleased to announce ‘The Secret And The Sacred’ - its first exhibition in Cromwell Place.

The show brings together the work of four talented artists: Arthur Lemaitre, Eeman Masood, David Brian Smith and Waswo X. Waswo. All of the artists operate in realms that lie between reality and the imagined. They move between dreams, memories and intense observational recordings, creating convergence points between surrealism, the mystical qualities of nature and the crafting of individual identities and architectural frameworks. A shared interest in delicate and highly controlled markmaking also unites the artists, as does a desire to operate at the nexus of the ‘in-between’ - be it between nature and architecture, past and present or historical context versus contemporary identity - secret and sacred places.

Arthur Lemaitre (b. 1994 in Bourgogne, France) asks the viewer to reflect upon what is imagined and what is real. He uses traditional techniques to push his practice to the borders of realism and surrealism - stealing from nature while remaining committed to the rigours of architectural drawing. As a student in Paris, confronted with limited intimate space vis a vis the immensity of the city and the ghosts of its artistic past rubbing shoulders with the present, Lemaitre found in the in-between, a melodious resonance.

Eeman Masood’s (b.1998 in Lahore, Pakistan) work addresses loss and nostalgia in particularly delicate and evocative ways. Poised between a shadowy dream world and a highly personal vision, she prompts us to delve into our own memories and longings for people and times that have slipped from reality into memory.

David Brian Smith (b. 1981 in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom) paints idyllic, Arcadian landscapes that reflect his deep love for nature. While colour and the natural world are two of the most important aspects of Smith’s paintings, the artist attaches great significance to mark-making. He describes his brush work in terms we would more readily associate with textiles, stitching as opposed to stroking his canvases, on which he works to create his vibrant visions of nature.

Waswo X. Waswo (b. 1953 in Milwaukee, United States, lives and works in Rajasthan, India) is an American photographer and writer best known for his hand painted black and white photographs of people from the streets of Rajasthan, which he shoots against dramatic cloth drapes in his village studio. Waswo’s poetic narratives are created by combining his work with that of traditional miniaturists. Waswo’s paintings express the perspective of the perennial outsider; prompting the viewer to question the space that separates the insider from the interloper in a style reminiscent of traditional Mughal and Mewari painting.

All the work in this exhibition is delicate and poignant. It invites a quiet consideration and elicits a visceral as well as an intellectual response thanks to its engagement with some deeply emotive themes, human longings and dreams.

Jane Neal