KEN WENTWORTH

SPACE 1

Exhibition dates : 22 September - 4 October 2026
Opening reception : Wed 23 September 2026, 6:00 - 8:30pm

Image + Text [Relics Revisited]

Building on my recent body of work, Relics for future generations (exhibited at SOL Gallery, 2024), which utilised paintings of figure groupings, text, and installation elements to create "absurd icons of the modern world," my current practice marks a shift in focus. Where previous works voiced the literal negative aspects of global problems, I now aim to encourage consideration of new possibilities.

In this project, I experiment with using archival figurative artworks from my past as seeds for further investigation, by adding text to communicate complex notions through simple statements. This process is twofold: on one level, I am unpacking and alchemising the past, on another; I aim to create multidimensional messages that resonate with others individually, and also speak to collective issues of the moment. By revisiting and reconceptualising these works within a new framework, I seek to allude to the intricacies of our current collective and individual lived experience with minimal text. Ultimately, this practice aspires to serve as a way-marker and validation that we are not alone, affirming that we all possess the hope necessary to resolve our personal and collective struggles and move towards a positive, fruitful future.