– Agnes Martin
I Love the Whole World is a group exhibition inspired by the philosophy and artwork of the abstract artist Agnes Martin. Over the course of her career, Martin developed a spiritual philosophy that was intimately connected to her artistic output. She believed that art is foremost an expression of beauty in the world and that this beauty, though fleeting and inexpressible through language, can be harnessed and expressed in art.
The eight emerging artists included in I Love the Whole World are linked through their studio-led exploration of materials, resulting in outcomes that diverge from traditional figuration and display a direct presence of material forms. Through pursuing a similar sensibility that Martin embodied, the works produced by these artists present a serene and direct engagement with beauty that transcends the inner turmoil of the individual.
Like Martin, who believed that beauty is perceived in moments of focussed tranquility when the ego has dissolved, the artists’ works are concerned with how love and beauty manifest through the creative process, resulting in a group exhibition that is not reliant on didactics or heavily researched outcomes. Sharing the joy of experimenting with materials, I Love the Whole World aims to translate this into an experience of relief and wonder for the viewer.
Documentation by Claudia Saballa-Hobbs
Expanded artist bios for Portia De Alwis, Nina Gilbert, Grace Harré, Simone Lee, Elena Misso, Yukino Seo, Fiona Shewan & Iva Thian can be found here:
Artist Bios