“Every spirit derives its reality and nature from a particular type of universal synthesis. There is neither spirit nor matter in the world; the stuff of the universe is spirit-matter.”

— Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Posted design: Olya Bazilevich

Who are we? French philosopher and paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin answers."..a Spirit having a human experience.’ if de Chardin is right, what are these experiences and how do they shape us? Do we identify with them or are they in control?

The identity of a human is complex. Stripping the layers can be a satisfying experience in itself. Underneath it all, is there a core structure? A sentient being that perhaps is no different from one person to the other?
The inner or the outer or perhaps both or neither? The mind or the non-mind? These questions are elemental to human conditions. This exhibition explores the work of three visual artists examining the question of their identity from three distinct, contrasting viewpoints; experiential, holistic, and cultural.

Katya Kesic’s latest work consists of a series of vessels, which are material embodiments of her influences, experiences, and cultures when Iulia Filipovscaia’s whirlpools of thought-forms seem to float off the canvas. Lastly, the paintings of Charlie Hawksfield depict figures from British colonial history through complex layers of symbolism and materiality.

Experiential. Kesic explores the human body as a memory vessel that collects traces of one’s reality. The African fabric patterns of Brixton memorized view from the kitchen of her flat in Moscow, cosmic and surreal symbols of media/ fashion trends & their aesthetics - the artist is using all this information stream as a source for her work and enhancing her memories in a quite theatrical way. By converting these influences into an independent element, she distances herself from the layers of her memory and gets to the essence of them, whilst speculating on how much our personal identity is influenced and built by the inner or the outer world.

Holistic. Mermaid, Mineral Man and a Dryad emerge through the abstractions of Filipovscaia’s mixed media embroidery and collage. Vintage and natural found objects collected during an ocean or forest walk are an integral part of the artist’s practice and ritual. Deeply rooted in nature and the energy of ready-mades Filipovscaia is looking at all matter through an alchemical lens.

Cultural. Hawksfield is a painter who exploits direct graphic techniques and unusual materiality to depict British historical subjects. Working from a cast of colonial-era characters including Lawrence of Arabia, Scott of the Antarctic, Lady Hester Stanhope, and Gordon of Khartoum, Hawksfield works on canvas, paper, and even bedsheets stretched over customized frames. He often uses mono-print, monotype, and multimedia techniques to disrupt the surface of his paintings, Hawksfield is more interested in the psychological baggage, rather than the readable narratives of history paintings.

Something that unites the artists is that each of them lives in a guardianship on a Wandsworth Road, London, but they draw from their own multicultural histories and identities. Below are the images of the space @wellsprojects

The idea for the show is for a viewer to have a museum experience where one can explore, learn, and relate to various identities offered by the artists. The archive of collected materials will be presented in display cabinets, wall features, and plinths. Artists are also exploring the idea of their work to be integrated into one another.

I have exhibited 4 works and this particular work titled ‘Alchemical Angel’ since its first light during ‘Stuff of the universe’. It was important for tme to show new work.