Material Matters

This solo exhibition brings together a body of work developed through Arts Council DYCP-funded research, positioning material enquiry as both method and subject. The exhibition unfolds as a space of investigation, where finished artworks sit alongside material experiments, allowing process, research, and outcome to exist in dialogue.

At the core of the exhibition is an exploration of pigments and dyes, with a particular focus on the making of colour from natural materials. By foregrounding these processes, the work draws attention to the often-hidden systems that underpin material production and artistic practice. The exhibition invites viewers to slow down and consider how materials are formed, transformed, and embedded with environmental and cultural histories.

Environmental impact is a central concern throughout the exhibition. The research responds to the ecological consequences of industrial dyes and pigments, including pollution, microplastics, and material waste. Through both artworks and contextual information, the exhibition asks how colour—something frequently associated with pleasure and aesthetics—can also be understood as a site of environmental cost and responsibility.

Rather than presenting research as a closed outcome, the exhibition functions as an open framework for reflection and shared learning. It proposes the studio and gallery as spaces for questioning, where material experimentation becomes a way to rethink our relationship with consumption, sustainability, and the environments we inhabit.