Grace Wright’s paintings are as enigmatic as they are joyful, liquid engineering that defies and bounces rigid academic perspectives well beyond the box of the stretcher frame.

Perhaps this sheer indulgence is the point. For there is a tension inherent in each of these works; a chaotic mishmash of effervescent springs – both sprung and contained – that intentionally belie the depth of thought behind their creation.

As Grace says, ‘These works enact a kind of ‘opening’ and through this a felt exaltation or agony by tight coiling gestures that hold a tension and release. A frozen moment of ecstasy perhaps, equally delicious as it is grotesque. The significance of the large scale allows us to become aware of the relative size of our bodies before it. As a female artist I’m interested in the labour of my own body producing work to a scale that overwhelms the physical body, repelling any possibility of domestication.’

We’re proud to host this gorgeous, powerful and deeply thoughtful show of Grace’s work in conjunction with Parlour Projects in Hawkes Bay.