Maureen Paley is pleased to present the seventh solo exhibition by Gillian Wearing at the gallery.
Gillian Wearing continues her exploration of identity, fiction, reality and the mask presenting a series of new works on paper, board, sculpture and film. Conceived over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the exhibition focuses mainly on works made during the lockdown. Her new watercolour portraits have all been created in this time of self-reflection motivated by isolation.
"I was going to begin painting my portrait this year, before COVID-19 took grip of the world and the nation. What surprised me was how the lockdown allowed me to focus in an intense way on a medium I hadn't used for 33 years. Having represented myself in photography both as myself and as others, I wanted to see how paint and even the manner of painting could change my appearance. These new portraits provide a record of my time spent in lockdown and are an exploration of my image depicted in isolated concentration."
The mask has fascinated and preoccupied Gillian Wearing in her artistic practice and takes on an even greater significance in her sculpture Mask, Masked, especially now when the proliferation of masks has reshaped our collective identity, day-to-day appearance and reality.