Recent Drawings on Quilted Paper showcases 11 lively and intimate charcoal and ink drawings on antique papers stitched together by the Sulman Prize-winning artist.
"I found a stack of antique paper in a secondhand store in Daylesford," says Spain. "It came wrapped in old string, had a lovely patina to it, and felt like it carried history."
Having recently returned from her grandmother's funeral in the UK, where the artist was born, Spain was in possession of her sewing kit.
"I've long had an interest in quilts and textiles, and I had the idea of making a series of paper quilts, using my grandmother's scissors and threads, which I could then draw on."
Although she is known as a painter, drawing is an integral part of Spain's practice.
"I'm always drawing alongside painting, always trying to find ways to express myself and make marks," she says.
"These drawings, which are all figurative, don't have a specific theme, but they are a continuation of my interest in bodies, movement, connection, how we engage with one another – all those themes that exist in my paintings."
Displayed like tapestries, the stitched drawings move ever so slightly when someone passes them, accentuating their textured surfaces.
"I draw all the time, but this is the first time I've exhibited my drawings," says Spain. "So this is an opportunity to step outside my comfort zone and try something different."
Press release courtesy Tolarno Galleries.
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