SENS Gallery is pleased to announce “Essence of the World”, a group exhibition featuring the work of He Tian, Tosin Kalejaye, Andrés Lozano, Leyli Rashidi Rauf, Helena Revuelta, Oriele Steiner, and Zhu Xinyu. The exhibition will be taking place from 14 October to 4 November 2023. ‘Essence of the World’ is an exploration of identity and self-discovery in the world that welcomes the viewer to observe, and to reflect, on the human experience.

He Tian’s perspectives of the world are deeply encompassed in his exploration of the metaphysical elements of grass, a trademark element of his work that symbolizes tranquillity in the fast paced world. He creates dialogue between human nature and rationality to reflect on his development as an artist and his perceptions of the world. Nature allows He to excel at using classical techniques to portray realistically and emphasize on emotion and personal awareness.

Steely, emotionless gazes grace the faces of Tosin Kalejaye’s figures. Evoking a subtle resilience, they are often observing, perhaps even dreaming. The zig-zag patterns etched across their skin symbolizes their quiet fortitude, a reflection not only on the struggles of Kalejaye’s contemporaries but also of the general Black experience. Kalejaye aims to evoke emotional responses by visualizing narratives and identities, challenging the outdated notions that centre the individuals and cultures of the African continent.  

Life in solitude, and the mundane elements inhabiting these colourful scenes come together in Andrés Lozano’s paintings. His visually impulsive images gallivant between familiarity and disassociation, in an improvisational approach that allows him to subconsciously manifest feelings of reclusion and comfort. These feelings of life amongst the quietude and chaos of home and nature are reflected from his own observations and experiences.

Leyli Rashidi Rauf explores the intimate observations of objects within a space, looking into the subjectivity and objectivity of one’s experience. Through dark colour palettes and the absence of figures, feelings of comfort and solitude conceal under the folds and creases of her interpretations of physical materials. Like the reflection of a mirror, Rashidi Rauf encourages viewers to see themselves in her paintings and evoke their perspectives of the world.  

Helena Revuelta reflects on self-discovery and explores the innate soul of the individual through her landscapes. Imagination serves as a catalyst for her creations, wherein the landscapes she emulates only exist in her mind. Painting is a means of reflection and expression for Revuelta, inviting audiences to explore, dream, and contemplate their existence and the world surrounding them. But with no ‘true’ definition in what her paintings convey, what is interpreted is up to the viewer’s feelings and perceptions.

Through her colourful, cartoon-like, and grotesque figures occupying the canvas, Oriele Steiner portrays the sensuality and the multiplicity of the female form. These scenes are unpredictable and unsettling, where landscapes and the human body come together to create striking forms that are simultaneously familiar yet foreign. This is the phenomenon of the jamais vu, in which Steiner’s contorted, ethereal beings are conceived from her experiences of seizures, thus creating moments of unpredictability in the moment.  

The imaginary realms constructed by Zhu Xinyu constantly transform in a variety of colours and shapes, changing the image through every layer through geometric forms ubiquitous on the canvas. An echo of the real visual world, painting is a testament to expressing his understand of the world and forms of life surrounding him. Looking to graffiti as a starting point, Zhu aims to enforce emotion into the scenes and spaces he conceives. He draws to the narratives present in space and time, delving into the mathematical, the spiritual, and the natural elements that constantly change the image.