Shape Open 2019

Private View: Thursday 5 September 6.30 – 8.30pm
Nunnery Gallery, 181 Bow Road, London E3 2SJ

Exhibition continues 6 – 19 September
Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10am to 5pm

Shape Open 2019 explores the theme ‘In Circles’ in the context of disability. 

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Circles symbolise completeness, harmony and wholeness of experience. The act of painting the circle bypasses the use of language and the intellect. The circle communicates directly but requires no explanation. It has to be completed in one single act, decisively, created from an exhale of breath. Parallelograms present boundary and rigidity, whilst circles seek to unite and include.

The regular practice of painting the circle is a reminder of staying in the present, any time, anywhere. Painting the 100 circles takes time, patience and perseverance, working in a meditative but dedicated and purposeful way.

The brushwork reveals a raw side which cannot be hidden, which I have purposefully enhanced with gold paint. The ‘imperfection’ is an essential part of the completeness and wholeness. In Japan, broken objects are often repaired with gold. The flaw is seen as a unique piece of the object’s history, which adds to its beauty. The native Americans have a tradition of leaving a blemish in one corner of the rug they are weaving because that’s where they believe the spirit enters.