Occupy the simultaneous…
A joint exhibition of Ceramics and Art Couture artists. You are invited to enter their meta studio and immerse in the creative dialogue.
General visits:10 am- 6 pm
Daily curatorial tours: 11 am-12 pm & 5-6 pm
In-conversation artist talk: Tuesday 12-1 pm
Please select the appropriate ticket when making a booking
“He who works with his hands is a labourer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.” ― Saint Francis of Assisi
C U S P brings together two artists, Kate Braine and Aigana Gali, working in different mediums - clay and cloth - to explore the rich seam of mutuality their respective process. Staging her Manifestations Art Project inside Braine’s meta studio - a Queen Anne townhouse full of art and collectibles, 20 Cheyne Row, London - Aigana Gali’s beguiling collection of wearable paintings, made of the finest cloth, was made in response to Braine’s expanded ceramic archive. A point or apex, C U S P (from the Latin cuspis point, 1585) is a site of transition from one thing to another. C U S P also denotes a region, located on the day-side of the northern hemisphere - between May and September - where solar winds bend the earth's magnetic field. Our closest portal to near-Earth space, C U S P is the threshold to being out of this world. Also an edge or verge, curved like the lip of a liquid filled cup, mirrored in the shape of your lips, C U S P describes a moment rich with anticipation.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
KATE BRAINE is a London based artist, who practices a wide range of mediums, including pottery, sculpture and design. Born in London and having studied sculpture at City & Guilds School of Art, Kate’s career centred on bronze portrait busts and body casts. Portrait busts of well-known figures include Sir David Tang, Ian Board, Francis Bacon and a full-scale body cast of music legend, David Bowie, later shown at The Gallery, Cork Street, within his one man exhibition. Kate subsequently studied ceramics at the Park Walk and Marlborough schools, which led to a lifelong passion for pottery and clay. Having produced ceramics over the past two decades, Kate’s works have featured in exhibitions at Argile Gallery, Art for Mayfair and The Mall Galleries. Her house, and meta-studio, has been the site for several exhibitions, most recently House of Pots, and now C U S P.
"I have always been fascinated by what lies beyond the visible, such as the many sea creatures that live beneath the ocean’s surface. I allow my imagination to run wild, to what could be lurking in the depths, and my pots are based on these biomorphic fantasies. To me CUSP is a point - an apex - and in this context it describes an artistic exploration between my clay and Aigana’s painted fabrics, embracing the transition between two such different mediums. This show allows us to exhibit and merge our works in unexpected ways, it is the beginning of something very exciting.” - Kate Braine
AIGANA GALI is a multidisciplinary artist who works across a wide range of media, from canvas and paper to textiles and bronze, in a dynamic process guided by the ancient philosophy of the Tengri. Born on the crossing of the Great Silk Road in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to a Georgian mother and Kazakhstani father, Aigana’s formative years were spent in the wild, open cradle of the Eurasian Steppe. This rich cultural heritage is an infinite source to her work and Gali’s paintings are invested with subtle historical or mythical references.
Over the past decade she has developed an important body of work, delineated by series: Creation Myth, Steppe and Tengri. Each representing a metaphorical chapter in her evolution as an artist and thinker, and an attempt to translate her cultural milieu. Expansive and beguiling, her works explore the mysterious forces - ancient wisdom, nature’s cycles and cosmic order - that shape our lives.
“Manifestations is an art project that honours the value that our ancestors placed on fabric, and cloth. In the steppe, which can be harsh and unforgiving, the coat is your most valuable possession. Just as the Saka buried treasures in the endless plains of the steppe, I wanted to make something precious, like an heirloom, that would also transform the wearer. Like a magical cloak, this is a work of art you can carry with you, and live inside.” - Aigana Gali