THREE

Aleksandar Bašić's latest mixed media (ink, acrylic and watercolour) works on paper are a series of portraits, merging art history with the more contemporary phenomenon of 'selfies'. Throughout history artists have been infatuated with the portrayal of themselves and others in numerous ways and forms. Today, portraiture is pushed to banality, or kitsch, with the arrival of new technologies; even face recognition software is no longer science fiction. Aleksandar uses these realities to gather the essential information he needs to create his portraits, which consistently depict the memory of an artist who has inspired his practice. His abstracted portraits present viewers with a blend of jarring shapes and all of the key components of the historical and contemporary portraits that he examines. The viewer’s full engagement is demanded in reading these fascinating and uncanny images.​

Luke Branca; Vampires, Tears, Rain is the title of Luke Branca's recent series of enigmatic paintings on paper. Inverted crosses, diamonds and teardrops are just some of the recurring motifs in these strange and intriguing works. Combined with abstract shapes and marks, they suggest spatial and figural impressions, yet remain elusive. Each piece appears at once abstract and figurative; it is precisely this that makes them intricate and captivating. Sparsely composed and intimately scaled, each work inspires sustained contemplation. All works in the series are painted in either neutral grey, or a rich Berlin blue (also known as Prussian blue) gouache, the significance of which is unknown. Seldom showing in public, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity to engage with the artist’s work, which is best seen in person.​

Lisa Sharma’s aptly titled Being Mum records the artists endeavour to create work during transitory moments, captured within the time-pressured schedule of a being mother, artist and teacher. Outcomes are rarely certain and could take any form; anything is possible. This unrestricted approach not only reflects the subject matter, but also adds an intriguing element of surprise to what the artist creates and exhibits. Highly personal and moving work.