Flowers Gallery is delighted to present Supernova, a group summer exhibition running from 16 July to 31 August 2024. This show celebrates the facets of contemporary abstraction, bringing together the works of eight women artists: Tess Jaray RA, Aida Tomescu, Katie Pratt, Carol Robertson, Lucienne O’Mara, Liza Giles, Freya Tewelde, and Diana Copperwhite.
Supernova explores the intricate relationships between space, memory, and perception. Each artist's unique approach contributes to a collective exploration of how we experience and interpret the world around us. From the meticulous layering and erasure of Aida Tomescu’s canvases, to Tess Jaray’s reduction and abstraction of architectural forms, and the geometric discipline and chaotic poetry in Lucienne O’Mara’s grids, the exhibition offers a diverse yet unified vision of contemporary abstraction.
Diana Copperwhite (b. 1969) lives and works in Dublin and New York. Copperwhite's painting, The Right to be Forgotten, delves into the concept of erasing one's digital footprint, evoking a dreamlike space and raising questions about virtual archaeology. Copperwhite's paintings offer moments of clarity, underpinned by a sense of instability, inviting viewers to contemplate the delicate balance between permanence and impermanence in the digital era.
Aida Tomescu (b. 1955) lives and works in Sydney. With the Crimson Word by Aida Tomescu is a painting titled after a poem by Paul Celan. This connection underscores the significant relationship Tomescu perceives between the cadence and structure of language and the art of painting. Known for her incorporation of literary references, Tomescu generates the rhythm of her works throughout their creation.
Tess Jaray RA (b. 1937) lives and works in London. Jaray transforms architectural inspiration into abstract compositions, examining spatial paradoxes through geometric forms and patterns. Her works evoke a deep emotional response by oscillating between distance and closeness, making architectural structures feel tangible yet distant.
Katie Pratt (b. 1969) lives and works in London. Pratt’s works impose a structured order on chaotic splashes of paint, blending organic gestures with intricate, geometric compositions that explore the human need for organisation amidst disorder.
Carol Robertson (b. 1955) lives and works in London. Robertson's paintings remain firmly rooted within reductive abstract conventions. Robertson finds that geometry, particularly the circle, provides the freedom to channel sensory or poetic material within its refined parameters. The circle, as the most archetypal of forms, holds a universal resonance, frequently appearing in art, architecture, and ritual.
Lucienne O’Mara (b.1989) lives and works in London. O’Mara’s approach disrupts the linear grid with emotive colour and brushwork, reflecting the chaotic rhythm of life through her repetitive use of squares.
Liza Giles (b.1971) lives and works in London. Giles’ paintings communicate directly through the use of colour, shape, composition and scale. The abstract, elemental forms found in her large-scale paintings developed from making smaller collages using found scraps and painted cut-outs. Set across multiple raw canvas panels, Giles intuitively reconfigures the paintings to produce new shapes and unexpected compositions.
Freya Tewelde (b. 1977) lives and works in London. Tewelde is a multidisciplinary artist who employs abstraction to highlight the post-Afro-diasporic perspective. By exploring hidden energies and cosmic influences, and using techniques like solar system mapping, she challenges perceptions and questions entrenched beliefs. Her practice combines psychoanalysis, anthropology, and mental health exploration to create immersive worlds that transcend conventional boundaries.
Curator Matthew Flowers reflects, “I wanted to celebrate summer with an inspiring presentation that dialogues with the developments taking place in the wide spectrum of abstraction which continue to flourish in the 21st century. Offsetting the dominance of men in the early history of the oeuvre and complemented by one of the contemporary British pioneers Tess Jaray, with backgrounds from across the globe, these dynamic artists explore geometric possibility, order and disorder, nature and the cosmos.”
Supernova press release
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