Silent Traces

About

Ione & Mann are pleased to present Silent Traces, a three person exhibition bringing together the work of Jana Emburey (b. 1979), Yuichiro Kikuma (b. 1982) and Anthony Whishaw RA (b. 1930).

Taking as title and starting point recurring themes within the artists’ practice the exhibition focuses on mainly monochromatic works celebrating the power of quiet contemplation that allows us to create space to connect with ourselves and the world around and within us. 

The absence of colour serves to eliminate distractions allowing for a heightened sensory focus but at the same time gives rise to a liberating effect for both artist and viewer. Light and shadow, composition and materials create an interplay between a feeling of presence and ephemerality, a grounding density and an ethereal shift towards the numinous which allows the work to speak of the invisible. The dream-like atmospheric paintings create a world of their own  but also become gentle guides that give permission to the viewers to immerse themselves in their own journey and experience.

Emburey, Kikuma and Whishaw employ a distinctive visual vocabulary on the edge of identifiable form, often comprising recurring patterns, mark making and the use of the line. The artists turn to the natural world not just as a source of inspiration but also as a means of contextualising the human experience. The process of making is slow and considered, constantly manoeuvring between the accidental and the intentional, spontaneity and focus, introspection and expression. The work explores personal histories alongside timeless and universal concerns remaining unconfined by formal considerations.