Life changed for all of us in 2020. Confined to our homes for most of the year, it was a year in which we all became insiders. Although loneliness was something that many of us experienced, it was also a chapter of growth, reflection and a time to appreciate what we have and what we take for granted.
Through Insiders, XVA shares the experience and responses to the Lockdown of Richard Ketley, a sometime resident of Dubai and regular exhibitor at the gallery. Lockdown caught Richard in Johannesburg, where he was forced to close his studio and to refocus his practice on his home environment.
The works exhibited in this collection start off as very small works on paper – drawings in paint made during the early stages of the lockdown. Unlike his previous work the colours are domestic, the concerns emotional and domestic – inspired by sunny living rooms, courtyards and gardens.
Insiders, whilst reflecting on more solitary and unsure times, looks ahead to the future. The audience is ushered into an uplifting and positive space where they are encouraged to learn from the past and accept it as a part of their lives. Through his work Richard is optimistic about the world’s future whilst narrating the beauty in the isolation of Lockdown.
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