Magnolia
Hazel O’Sullivan
‘Magnolia’ is a colour that I relate to my childhood home and my nanny’s home in Ireland. Usually accompanied by a vague tinge of cigarette smoke, magnolia is an old-fashioned interior colour that resonates with me a sense of warmth and nostalgia that I crave in the everyday objects around me.
For this exhibition in London I am primarily concerned with the ontological status of the colour magnolia, which I have explored through domestic structures both modern and retro-futuristic. From bakelite clock-radios, space-age ovens and kitchen units, I’ve taken inspiration from an anachronistic collection of household objects and created a liminal space to reflect upon questions regarding identity.
By evoking a sense of longing for a by-gone era, my work encourages the viewer to think more deeply about the emotional resonance of the things we surround ourselves with, and the ways in which nostalgia can shape or distort our relationship with our own identity. This exhibition evokes a sense of unease and comfort by transforming the familiar into something uncanny and surreal, challenging the viewer’s assumptions about what is real and what is imagined.’
‘Hazel is an Irish visual artist currently based in London after completing a Masters in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Arts. Hazel has since participated in artist residencies at PADA Studios in Lisbon, with Hypha Studios in London, and has received the Solstice Visual Arts Award, 2022. Concerned with the ontological statues of domestic objects and images, Hazel’s practice analyses style and periodic change from modernism to futurism, borrowing from the aesthetics of minimalism and retro-futurism specifically. The work combines elements of old and new and is constructed from blocks of colour, fabric and varnished wood. Revealing a fascination between object and utility, Hazel combines the familiar and the strange to create both friendly and hostile forms, playing with our visual comprehension of space occupied by furniture and architecture.’
Location:
1B Window GalleryExhibition Dates:
April 22 - May 12Follow:
@hazelosullivanartWebsite:
https://hazelosullivan.com/Date:
April 26, 2023