What Is Possible… What Is Promised
Curated by Dexter Wimberly
12th September to 28th October, 2024

What Is Possible… What Is Promised is a captivating exploration of meditative, process-driven abstraction through the works of four diverse artists. Each artist brings a unique perspective, yet they are unified by a shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of form and material. Gregor Hildebrandt weaves visual culture into poetic compositions, while Russna Kaur delves into the intersection of identity and abstraction. Gabriel Mills contemplates the profound connections between time, place, and emotion in his textured paintings, and Emilie Pugh explores the delicate tension between the transient and the permanent. Together, their works invite viewers into a space of introspection, where the possibilities of abstraction and form are both celebrated and expanded.

Gregor Hildebrandt (b. in 1974, Bad Homburg, Germany) creates a distinctive body of work that spans paintings, sculptures, and installations, deeply rooted in the realms of music, cinema, and underground cultures. He uniquely arranges and combines visual elements drawn from sound recordings and a variety of recording media, including magnetic tapes, vinyl records, and compact discs. Through his poetic approach, Hildebrandt crafts compositions that are rich with both sound and silence, inviting viewers to engage with the space around them and appreciate the nostalgic beauty of the past.

Although Hildebrandt’s work bears formal references to Minimalism, it intentionally diverges from this style by incorporating numerous subjective and autobiographical elements. His art, a complex montage of associations from diverse realms such as music, film, literature, and art history, transforms into a rich tapestry of interwoven references. By employing everyday materials without aesthetic or theoretical constraints, Hildebrandt merges conceptual and minimal art with his personal experiences and influences from pop culture, resulting in works that are both profound and playful.

In her practice, Russna Kaur (b. 1991, Brampton ON, Canada) delves into the role of abstraction as a means to challenge and expand the discourse surrounding identity. She seeks to push the boundaries of how identity is expressed through painting, emphasizing the ways in which it can be intricately woven into the layers of her work rather than simply depicted on the surface. Kaur is particularly interested in how identity can be embedded within the materials themselves, emerging through the process of creation rather than being overtly illustrated. This approach allows the work to reveal its deeper meanings organically, inviting viewers to engage with the piece on a more intimate and introspective level.

Through her material experimentation, Kaur explores how her work, deeply influenced by her own identity, can remain open to multiple interpretations. She aims to create paintings that offer alternative entry points for dialogue, focusing on elements such as color, texture, line, and scale. For Kaur, the act of painting is not just a means of expression but a powerful tool for self-empowerment and exploration, offering a space where identity and abstraction intersect in meaningful ways.

Gabriel Mills (b. 1992, New York, USA) is a painter whose body of work, while diverse, consistently reflects his contemplative explorations of time, love, and place. Trained in classical techniques, Mills navigates his art through a disciplined lens, adhering to formal elements such as tension, harmony, counterpoint, and the sublime, all of which are rooted in traditional academic principles. Simultaneously, Mills’ views painting as more than a mere technical exercise; he sees it as a ‘window’ or a transformative space that offers him deep introspection and personal revelation. Each painting session becomes a meditative journey, compelling Mills to delve into his inner world with every stroke.

Central to Mills’ practice are the interwoven themes of time, transformation, love, language, weight, and spirituality. These concepts manifest in his work as dense topographical textures, smooth atmospheric surfaces, and enigmatic compositions. Mills is particularly fascinated by the relationships between elements within his paintings, crafting visual constellations that shift between the obscure and the iconic. For Mills, the act of painting is not about reaching a physical destination but about arriving at an internal realization. Through this process, he achieves a nuanced expression in his art, capturing the subtlety of his reflections and the depth of his meditations.

Emilie Pugh’s (b. 1988, London, UK) artistic practice is deeply rooted in exploring the tension between the transient and the permanent, the material and the immaterial, and the interplay between form and negative space. Her works often present tactile surfaces that are so dynamically activated that they resemble bas-relief sculptures. However, these surfaces do more than just occupy space—they evoke a sense of absence or void, challenging the viewer to contemplate what is not immediately visible. Pugh’s work embodies a delicate balance, capturing the weight of the void amidst something both powerful and fragile.

Over the past few years, Pugh’s work has been driven by a fascination with the interconnectedness of all living things. Her art draws on diverse systems of belief, spanning the spiritual and scientific, the microscopic and macroscopic, to explore the universal forces that shape our existence. With a strong emphasis on drawing, Pugh experiments with a wide array of media and processes. She employs unconventional methods such as mark- making with incense sticks, soldering irons, chemicals, and light, alongside more traditional techniques like pen and ink. Pugh’s work is characterized by a constant state of flux, reflecting the perpetual cycles of growth, decay, and dissolution that define life. She is compelled by the tensions that exist between the transient and the permanent, between form and void, and between the material and the immaterial. Her art invites viewers to contemplate these dualities, offering a profound meditation on the delicate balance that defines our existence.

In conclusion, whether observed through Gregor Hildebrandt’s intertwining of Minimalism and personal nostalgia, Russna Kaur’s introspective exploration of identity through layered abstractions, Gabriel Mills’ engagement with time, love, and spirituality, or Emilie Pugh’s exploration of the tension between the material and immaterial, What Is Possible… What Is Promised invites us to consider the limitless possibilities of human expression.

Dexter Wimberly

Dexter Wimberly is an US-American curator based in Japan who has organized exhibitions in galleries and institutions around the world including the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City; The Green Family Art Foundation in Dallas, Texas; The Harvey B. Gantt Center in Charlotte, North Carolina; KOKI Arts and STANDING PINE in Tokyo, Japan; BODE in Berlin, Germany; Lehmann Maupin in London, U.K.; SECCI in Milan, Italy; and The Third Line in Dubai, UAE. His exhibitions have been reviewed and featured in publications including The New York Times and Artforum; and have received support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, and The Kinkade Family Foundation. In 2023, Wimberly participated in Hauser & Wirth’s International Curatorial Residency Symposium in Somerset, England. Wimberly has been profiled in Elle Decor and Artnet News. Wimberly is a Senior Critic at New York Academy of Art, and the founder and director of the Hayama Artist Residency in Japan. He is also the co-founder and CEO of the online education platform, CreativeStudy.